Chaos and Carnage
by Gundraw
Summary: What if the symbiote spawned from Venom had another trait acquired from one Peter Parker... the one to protect the masses, and that there is a responsibility with the power it has. And what if it somehow stumbled upon our young Pigtailed Protagonist?
1. Chapter of the first

Chapter 1: Unexpected Baggage  
  
Carnage and Chaos, a Perfect Match  
  
Eddie Brock smiled as he felt stronger than he ever had been. His muscles burned with energy as he smashed the wall of his cell and walked out, eager to get his revenge on the one who locked him up. Parker.  
  
Unknown to Eddie, the alien symbiote had left behind a piece of itself, a child if you will. This "daughter" symbiote stirred to life and immediately began searching for a host to live off of. Immediately spotting the cellmate of the former prisoner, the new symbiote analyzed it before deciding that it would not suit it's needs. This man was far too wicked, evil to have the gifts that it possessed.  
  
Ordinarily, the alien would have taken the first host it had seen, but when its parent bonded with Peter Parker, an unexpected trait was carried, along with the spider powers. The want to be good, and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.  
  
Quickly scanning the building, the alien dismissed the others in the area and left through the whole in the wall. It had a good while before it would die, so it decided to search for the best candidate.  
  
A search across America started, through each major city. Starting in New York, the spawn of Venom crossed the country, eventually ending up in Seattle. Still no worthy subjects had been found, so the symbiote crawled into the wheel-well of a commercial airline jet, and made its way across the Pacific, to an island known as Japan.  
  
-Nerima, Japan. Some months later.-  
  
"Aw, come on Ryoga! You can do better than that!" The taunt rang out from the park next to the thing, immediately catching it's attention and forcing it to see what had said this.  
  
"Shut up Ranma! Because of you, I have seen hell!" Ryoga shouted as Ranma flowed around another punch like water.  
  
"Oh really? I hear they got good weather this time of year!" Ranma retorted, easily side-stepping a rather clumsy punch and giving Ryoga a good kick in the ribs.  
  
Ryoga growled, knowing he was losing, and slowly a nauseating green aura ebbed and expanded around him, tendrils of the power reaching ever farther, searching for something. "Shut up! Shi Shi Hokodan!"  
  
Ranma was about to counter with a ki blast of his own, but he looked behind him, and saw a play set with numerous children climbing and laughing, oblivious to the danger they were in.  
  
Knowing that if he countered with a ki blast, Ryoga's might swerve and hit the play set, Ranma swore and leapt in front of the sickly green orb, and braced himself.  
  
The blast hit him head on, sending him flying backwards towards the play set, but bouncing to a halt just short of it.  
  
Kids immediately surrounded him, but backed off when they saw Ryoga coming.  
  
"Looks like I have finally proven who the better fighter is, Ranma."  
  
Ranma growled and raised his arms in front of him, cupping them as a golden light was produced between his hands. "Not quite! MOUKO TAKAHABASHI!"  
  
Ryoga's eyes widened as he was hit with a blast at point-blank, sending him flying up and into the air a good 30 or so feet, before tumbling back down to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"Are you okay mister?" One of the children asked, approaching him cautiously.  
  
Ranma chuckled and sat up. "Yeah, sorry to scare you kids like that."  
  
His bruises and burns from the fight visibly healed themselves in front of the children as Ranma cracked his neck and stood up.  
  
Bidding the children goodbye, Ranma checked the now unconscious Ryoga, before leaving him there and beginning the long walk home. Akane had malleted him a few good miles away, and he had met Ryoga in this park, who had immediately attacked.  
  
Unknown to Ranma, a creature watched him from the rooftops, following his every move. It had found its host.  
  
Ranma got the sudden feeling of being watched, but shrugged it off when he spotted nothing following him. Entering Nerima, Ranma sighed and hopped up onto a roof, quickly getting his bearings before he saw something move out of the corner of his eye.  
  
Looking towards whatever it was that moved, Ranma slowly and cautiously crept forward, keeping his eyes open for movement.  
  
Then, a thick splattering sound came from behind him, and the only thing he saw when he turned was an amorphous red and black blob, leaping at him before everything went black.  
  
-  
  
His mind deciphered the noise heard, his head felt like it was slowly being compressed into the size of a small acorn.  
  
". yes, his condition has stabilized. No, I don't think that is necessary Mrs. Saotome. As you wish. Yes."  
  
"Will Ranma be alright doctor?"  
  
'That's Nabiki.' Ranma thought, his mind in a haze as his eyes remained closed but he listened closely to what was said.  
  
"Yes, Nabiki. It appears as if he fainted from fatigue, but his body did not show any of the signs that are common with exhaustion."  
  
'What happened to me.?' Ranma thought, before his mind once again sank into unconsciousness.  
  
-  
  
His eyes slowly cracked open, regretting it immediately as light poured into his eyes, causing him to wince and close them again. Even slower, he opened them again and allowed his eyes to readjust to the light, before he sat up in bed.  
  
He immediately recognized it as Doctor Tofu's clinic, and wondered why he was here.  
  
[Because your body had undergone a massive physical change, and the pain would have been too great, so I temporarily shut down your nervous system.]  
  
Ranma immediately woke up as he heard a voice inside his head.  
  
"What the."  
  
[Ah, how rude of me. I am bio-amplifier Kao-Soldier enhancer number 132. What is your name?]  
  
Ranma shook his head, trying to stop the voices in his head.  
  
[It is rude to not tell me yours, after I told you mine.]  
  
"R-Ranma Saotome." Ranma muttered, still somewhat unnerved that he was now hearing voices.  
  
[Well, it is a pleasure to meet you Ranma Saotome. I am sure that we will make great partners.]  
  
"Just call me Ranma. Wait, partners!?" Ranma asked, slowly coming to terms with the new being in his body.  
  
[Yes, Ranma. I am a being designed to enhance the abilities of those I bond with. I found you to be worthy, after seeing how you defended those children.]  
  
'So it saw my fight with Ryoga. If it thinks that defending children is a good thing, I suppose it isn't that bad.' Ranma thought, though he wasn't about to start trusting this thing right away.  
  
[Yes, I did see your fight. Your abilities are quite intriguing. May I ask what it was that you projected?]  
  
"Wait, you can hear what I think!?" Ranma asked, growing uncomfortable.  
  
[Indeed, I am a part of you, and as such I have access to all of your neural receptors. I live inside of you, and you gain everything I have to offer. Now, what is the substance you manipulated during your fight with this "Ryoga"]  
  
"That was my ki. an embodiment of my spiritual energy" Ranma said, resigning to talking with this. thing. He figured it was a dream and he may as well have fun with it.  
  
[I see. Host Ranma is a bio-energy manipulator, and refers to his bio- energy as ki.]  
  
"What are you? How did you. get in me?"  
  
[Again, I apologize Ranma. I am an alien symbiote designed to enhance the physical abilities of our people. But, as the planet I was created on was destroyed, I am but one of the two only living symbiotes left. As to how I entered your system, I must apologize again. After seeing your battle, I knew that you were the host that should have my abilities, you contained no wicked intentions or malice that all others seemed to carry.]  
  
A flash of the red and black blob jumping at him appeared before Ranma's eyes, and he panicked. "You mean, this isn't a dream!?"  
  
[No, apparently it is not, Ranma. As far as I can tell, my sensors tell me it is the physical world.]  
  
Ranma's head was buried in his hands as all of the information filtered through his mind. "So. I know have an alien living inside my head. Perfect."  
  
[Not only your head, host Ranma. I am in every part of your body, and can replicate myself to expand or contract as you please.]  
  
Ranma suddenly got a thought of seeing himself exploding from the inside, and shook his head. "You mentioned that you enhance your host, what kind of enhancements?" Ranma asked, trying to get his mind off of that image.  
  
[I enhance all physical traits of my host, excelling in strength, speed, agility and reflexes. When bonding, I will absorb any unique traits that my host has, and will be able to use them no matter what host I am being used by thereafter. Currently, I have absorbed your advanced healing, High pain threshold, high energy output, increased learning curve and enhanced reflexes genes from your system.]  
  
"Wait, you can bond with others? And let them have the abilities I have?" Ranma asked, thinking of what Ryoga could do with that.  
  
[Yes. I also have acquired several enhancements from my parent, and are applying them to you.]  
  
"Wait, parent?"  
  
[Yes. I was spawned from another symbiote, and inherited most of it's traits, however I am several times more powerful than my predecessor.]  
  
"So. if it acquires these abilities from people, who did these abilities get acquired by."  
  
[A young man by the name of Peter Parker, also known as the Spider-man. The abilities that are currently being applied to you are; Super Strength, Hyper Sense, Hand and foot barbs, Agility enhancement, and the ability to create a web-like strand of myself, as strong as titanium.]  
  
"Spider-man!? What kinda name is that?" Ranma snorted, and then went over the abilities in his head. "So. explain what all these do."  
  
[Of course. Your strength has been amplified, adding the strength proportionate of a human sized spider to your current strength. The hyper sense is a sense unique to a certain species of spider on Earth, which allows it to sense imminent danger, or a threat before it actually happens. Precognition, if you will. The hand and foot barbs are tiny barbs that extend from the surface of your hands and feet, allowing you to stick to any surface, and grip it much like a spider. They are small enough not to be noticed by others, however. The greatly enhanced agility is another trait to certain spider, which can leap great distances unharmed, and be able to move with extreme speed and grace. Finally, the web creation is an ability my predecessor invented, after seeing that this Parker needed to use a special device to create "webbing." The webbing that we can create however is much more sturdy and flexible, almost like a fluid-like consistency, yet harder than any metal on Earth.]  
  
Ranma blinked. "Wow. Uh, that's some gift this Peter guy's got. What does he look like? Multiple eyes, eight legs? Forget it, I don't wanna know. Lemme get this straight though, you can come out of my body?"  
  
[Affirmative. The Kao-soldier bio-enhancers are specifically designed to be able to remain outside the body. As such, we are shape shifters, though our natural form is not unlike a puddle. If you could approach a mirror, you could see for yourself much more clearly.]  
  
Ranma shakily threw the sheets off of him, and walked in front of a full length mirror that sat nearby.  
  
[If you could show me a mental image of your casual wear, I would be able to analyze it and replicate it.]  
  
Ranma immediately thought of himself in his normal clothing, and his eyes suddenly snapped open as he felt his robe the doctor had given him rip off. What he saw made his jaw drop. In the mirror, he saw himself in his standard clothing, though he had never even put any clothes on.  
  
Ranma immediately imagined himself in a red gi, and the clothes he was wearing shifted like putty before his eyes, and became a red gi with a black belt.  
  
"This is so cool."  
  
[Shall I show you my current design for a battle garment?]  
  
"What?" Ranma asked, shaken out of his stupor.  
  
[I also form into a full body suit that allows the maximum amount of movement for my host, as well as protecting him from physical blows. It is also designed to distract the opponent by scaring them. My current design is based off of Spider-man's own costume, however I am sure it will change as I see more.]  
  
"Yeah. sure I guess." Ranma said, still looking in the mirror. Right after he finished, a gigantic blob of the red and black liquid shot out from his back, and engulfed his body. He was snapped his eyes shout and was about to scream when he noticed he was breathing fine, and not being suffocated as he thought he would be. Opening his eyes, he looked in the mirror and gasped at what he saw.  
  
It was like a suit of spandex, covering his being, leaving little to the imagination up to his face, where his jaw had been elongated, and dozens of long, sharp, blood red teeth stuck out. His mouth was a void, colored a dark red. His eyes were pure white and rose up and out to the sides of his head before coming back down towards his nose with a sharp point. The edge of the top parts of his eyes looked not unlike a flame, chaotic and unpredictable.  
  
"That would scare me." Ranma said, as he though of being attacked by something that looked like this.  
  
[My thanks, host Ranma. In this form, your entire body has taken up the same consistency of what I am, allowing you to become a complete shape shifter.]  
  
"I can. morph?" Ranma asked, running a hand across his cheek as he watched his reflection do the same.  
  
[Yes. Please, imagine a weapon in your hand.]  
  
Though he disliked weapons, Ranma imagined a simple katana in his hand, and gasped as he felt his "suit" suddenly grow bigger and form a katana in his hand.  
  
"Okay. that was weird."  
  
[Very good. Now please, drop the sword and do not touch it.]  
  
Ranma did so, and after thirty or so seconds, watched the katana disintegrate into nothing.  
  
[As you can see, any part of the "suit" you are not in contact with for approximately 30 seconds will disintegrate, leaving no evidence that it had ever been there.]  
  
Ranma smirked. The problem he had with weapons had just been solved. By being able to simply replicate one at will, he could have limitless amounts of whatever he wished.  
  
"So. do you ever run out of this stuff?"  
  
[No, I can replicate myself as much as I wish, leaving you an indefinite amount of myself to use. Now raise your hand, palm facing towards a target and flex your wrist.]  
  
Ranma did so, and his eyes would have widened had he not been in the combat form. A strand of the suit shot out, and struck the case of biohazard materials Ranma had been aiming at.  
  
[This is your 'web.' Being stronger than titanium, it can carry a rather large amount of weight. And, as it is part of your suit, it can change shape, consistency and form. You can control it with a simple thought of what you wish it to do. Also, this means that these 'webs' can shoot out of any part of your body where the suit is exposed. It will be much easier at the wrist however, as this is where Spider-man was accustomed to shooting his own web.]  
  
[In the future, all of these abilities, the shape shifting and replicating of weapons or "web" will always be commanded by thought. Simply think it, and it will be done.]  
  
"So. what do you get out of all this?" Ranma asked, knowing that there was always a catch.  
  
[I live, I need a host to live with in order to remain alive, and it was a failsafe designed by my creators to ensure that I never ended up in the hands of the enemy.]  
  
"So. you feed off me?"  
  
[Not at all, I simply coexist with you. I do not hamper, only amplify. That is my purpose, Host Ranma.]  
  
Ranma was starting to hope this wasn't a dream. It was almost too good to be true. Part of him was saying he was taking the easy way out, but that was soon shrugged off as Ranma reasoned that the alien was obviously good, after all it had chosen him for a host, and that he had helped it and made it so this thing could live, he was a martial artist, and he had to help others right? Also, with all the crap he had put up with in his life, he thought he did deserve a little something at least, and this made up for it, if it really worked.  
  
"So. what's your name?"  
  
[As I stated earlier, I am bio-amplifier Kao-Soldier enhancer number 132.]  
  
Ranma sweatdropped at the long name and thought. "How 'bout Kao? It would be easier in conversation instead of bio-whatever Kao."  
  
Silence reigned in Ranma's head for several seconds before it finally answered.  
  
[Kao hm? I like it. Like a memoir of my people. Very well, host Ranma, I am Kao.]  
  
"Er, just call me Ranma. Host Ranma kinda freaks me out."  
  
[As you wish. I will comply to the best of my abilities.]  
  
Ranma imagined himself in his standard clothing, and the suit immediately molded itself, curling and sliding along his skin, and finally stopped, leaving only a perfect replica of his standard clothes.  
  
Just as the metamorphosis completed, Doctor Tofu entered. "Ah, you're awake. Where did you get some clothes? I don't remember someone bringing in."  
  
"Er, I found them by the bed." Ranma replied quickly, sweating nervously.  
  
"Ah. Well, no matter. How are you feeling, Ranma? Dizzy?"  
  
Ranma smiled and shook his head. "Nope, I feel the best I have felt in a while doc, must've needed that nap. How long was I out for?'  
  
"Three days" Doctor Tofu answered happily. "School just started, and since your feeling so good I assume you are well enough to go?"  
  
Ranma sighed. Guess that these new super-powers don't stop him from being in school. "Yea, I guess."  
  
"Wonderful! I'll write you a pass."  
  
Ranma grimaced and left the clinic, and Dr. Tofu curiously inspected the black and red swirled goop that covered his syringe disposal bin. Before he could examine it however, it all disintegrated into nothing.  
  
-  
  
Ranma entered the classroom, sighing at the thought of school. Absently handing the teacher his pass, he found his seat and slumped into it, immediately closing his eyes.  
  
"Mr. Saotome, since this is material we had covered before your 'ahem' illness, why don't you tell us the answer to problem number three?"  
  
Ranma looked up at the board and gave the teacher a look that said "you have GOT to be kidding me."  
  
[32x to the third power.]  
  
"Wha.?" Ranma said, surprised slightly at Kao's voice.  
  
"Number three Ranma. The answer, please." The class giggled at Ranma's apparent cluelessness.  
  
[The answer is 32x to the third power, Host Ranma.]  
  
Before Ranma spoke, he bit back a retort about the whole 'host' thing, but regained his composure and answered. "Er... Uhm, 32x to the third power?"  
  
The teacher was about to say incorrect, seeing as it was Ranma who answered, but then noticed that, Ranma was indeed correct.  
  
The class stared at Ranma like he had grown a pair chicken wings and an extra scrotum on his chin.  
  
'Whoa. you know how to do this stuff!?' Ranma thought excitedly, remembering he did not have to be vocal to communicate with Kao.  
  
[On my home planet, mathematics such as this is quite simple. Taught to the youngest of out kind. It is not only my duty to enhance the physical aspects, but also the mental. You may think of me as a calculator that gives it's owner steroids.]  
  
Ranma's eyebrow went up at the analogy, but quickly shook it off.  
  
[I am basically a calculator and a computer that is inside your mind.]  
  
'Finally! I can actually pass some tests! Thanks a lot Kao!'  
  
[It is my pleasure, Host Ranma.]  
  
'And stop calling me that.'  
  
[As you wish, I will try to comply with your request, Host Ranma.]  
  
Ranma groaned. Turns out there was a downside to this whole thing.  
  
Author Rants: Second fic. boo yah. Woot. Anyways, I thought a Ranma with good Carnage would be really cool, and this story kinda plopped out several days thereafter. It will eventually be a massive crossover, so you can expect that most definitely in the next. What I currently have planned is Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo, X-men, Spider-man, other marvel heroes when appropriate and anything else I can find really. If you want to see a series in here, say so, and also say who you think I should match him up with. Unlike R:KOS, there are a lot more women to choose from now @_@.  
  
Ja Mina! (AND REVIEW DAMNIT _) 


	2. Chapter of the second

Chaos and Carnage  
  
Chapter 2: Well, the shit has hit the fan.  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
  
Griever: I plan on 'Kao' Taking a completely different type of role in this fic than the cube did in power and responsibility. There is a reason Kao can talk, it is necessary for some of the later encounters, but I assure you that Kao will in no way begin to act like the cube (forgot the name _;)  
  
X247: Oh shit, I knew someone who read KOS would see this. Grr. Ah well, My friend read it and started harassing me to update o_o;, the next chapter is half done. Oh, and the cliff hanger is about 10x worse XD  
  
AN: Real quickly I just wanna thank the reviewers, it's nice to know that this idea wasn't wasted ^_^; I realize that the first chapter went way too fast, I will be doing a rewrite of that later most likely, but I was far too eager to get to the good stuff. XD  
  
Pairing/matched stats (if I decide to do one _ No guarantees, I ain't good at writin love scenes, if another author would like to write it in, I would be glad to post it though ^_^)  
  
Ryoko.. 2  
  
Tsunami.. 1  
  
Rogue.. 2 (I think I saw two at least. _')  
  
Ryoko would be an interesting match up; I can see why they might be attracted to eachother. About 'Kao's' talking, I felt that it was a necessary step, and it makes it much easier for Kao and Ranma to converse. Later, you will find out why as well. Oh, and Kao doesn't have a gender, I was using daughter as a description, like daughter cell. Though I may refer to it as he sometimes, Kao has no gender.  
  
It had been 3 weeks since Ranma has officially 'bonded' with Kao. So far, the being had been true to its word. Almost every night for the past week he had snuck out to experiment with these new powers and he had found that Kao had done everything he had said he would do. (He donned the combat suit; the last thing he wanted was one of his rivals recognizing him.)  
  
His new strength had taken a day or so to get used to. He realized just how powerful he was when he had seriously injured his father in their morning 'sparring' sessions. Not that he cared, mind you. The panda got what it deserved, which in this case was a mild concussion.  
  
He currently was hopping through Tokyo by way of rooftops, only a good 20 or so stories high. With no longer needing to fear the heights (he used the 'webbing' as a back up plan, finding roof-hopping more familiar) he could enjoy himself immensely. The peace and quiet of the altitude brought serenity into his life, the only peace amidst the chaos.  
  
Ranma sighed, a light sweat dampening his unruly raven locks and lay down upon the cement roof of a building he had just landed upon. A blanket of dark clouds watched over him ominously, threatening to drench him and activate his curse. He thought back several weeks to when Kao had been introduced to his girl side.  
  
~ (This is a flashback if you can't tell) ~  
  
Ranma was currently having a blast. It was only several days after he had bonded with the symbiote, but he wouldn't trade them for anything. The new abilities proved to be ridiculously fun, and he had already subconsciously begun to integrate them into Anything Goes.  
  
He walked upon the road, a goofy grin adorning his face as he thought back to what he had just done. He had climbed up a building. While it did not seem like much, It was very pleasing to Ranma, for he had not leapt to the top, nor had his fingers gripped the cement like a vice. He simply put his hand on the wall. and climbed. It was quite disturbing at first; his sense of gravity was thrown for a loop as he seemed to crawl right up the sheer surface. After a while he gathered his courage and stood, and stuck out, perpendicular from the building. Looking straight down, Ranma had been so excited he jumped in victory, only to realize that gravity still had a hold on him. The result, was a large face plant, where Ranma got a great taste of the pavement.  
  
Unconsciously rubbing his bruised cheek, Ranma was still quite ecstatic about these new powers. So ecstatic in fact, that he failed to notice a little old lady on the side of the road, cleaning her sidewalk with some water. As always, the familiar change in height and center of gravity took place. Two large objects grew on his chest, and two others disappeared from his pants. Ranma sighed as she now walked down the street, cursing her luck.  
  
[Ranma. you are no longer male.]  
  
Ranma froze and remembered the other passenger on board.  
  
"Uh. yeah, heh heh."  
  
[Why did you not tell me of this ability? Host Ranma classified as Bio- energy manipulator and shape shifter.]  
  
"What!? No no no, it's a curse. I turn into a girl with cold water."  
  
[I see. Host Ranma classified as Bio-energy manipulator and trans-sexual.]  
  
Ranma visibly flinched at that. He heard enough of it at school. "Now listen here. I AM A GUY!"  
  
[The breasts on your chest and lack of phallus speak otherwise.]  
  
Ranma tasted the pavement again as his face slammed into the ground. "I was born a guy! This is a curse damnit!"  
  
[So?]  
  
Ranma was about to retort when he realized that he couldn't come up with anything to shoot back. "Uh, so. Stop calling me a girl."  
  
[But you are a girl, Host Ranma. Are you delirious? Do you need medical attention? My analysis states that you don't but I am not familiar with human minds.]  
  
Ranma jaw just hung open for a second as he juggled some words in his mind. "I am a girl now, but I am not a girl. Damnit! Don't you care that I turn into a girl!?"  
  
[It is not in my parameters to judge my host by gender, only by their actions and personality. I find no change to my host in either category, therefore have no opinion. I do find it an interesting ability however; perhaps I can absorb it as well.]  
  
Realizing that people were staring at him. her, Ranma stopped talking to Kao out loud and kept walking, though now at a much quicker pace. 'It's a curse, magic ya know? I am not sure if you can absorb it.'  
  
[Magic? What is this magic you speak of Host Ranma?]  
  
Ranma's eyebrows furrowed in her concentration. 'Uhm, its stuff that can't be explained, like miracles and stuff. Nobody can explain what it is, or how it works. it's kinda an unknown variable.'  
  
[I see. Magic classified as unknown substance; further study required to analyze.]  
  
'Thanks for not freaking out about this Kao. It's been the source of a lot of pain.'  
  
Memories flashed through Ranma's mind, and Kao observed them in silence before continuing. [It is not so odd to me, being a shape shifter. I know many alien races that have been known to switch genders; I find this to be no different.]  
  
'Yeah, but do those races need hot water to change back?'  
  
[No. However, now that I am with you, shape shifting is possible.]  
  
Hope sprang in Ranma's heart, as the thought of being able to stay a guy forever went to his brain. 'Yo-You can control the curse?'  
  
[I fear what tampering with it now will do to you if I do. With such little known about this 'magic' you speak of, I am afraid of the consequences. I will study the change further, and try to analyze a possible cure for your condition.]  
  
'Thanks Kao, it means a lot.' And it did. To Ranma, this was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him. He felt closer to the alien that lived inside of him than he did to his own father (not that that was a hard feat) and in such short time too.  
  
~ (back to the rooftops) ~  
  
Though Kao still had not discovered a way to counteract or control the curse, Ranma knew that Kao would keep its word.  
  
Ranma silently thought about that and smiled to himself. Bonding with Kao was definitely one of the better things he had done.  
  
"Hey, Kao?" Ranma asked, somewhat hesitantly however.  
  
[Yes, Host Ranma?]  
  
Ranma cringed, wishing the symbiote wouldn't call him that. "What's this Spider-man guy like? These powers I 'inherited' from him are amazing! I mean, I have never imagined being able to climb up walls, sense danger, lift cars, bounce around even farther than I could before. He must be a pretty lucky guy." 'Like me.' Ranma added mentally, smirking a bit.  
  
[He is not much unlike you when it comes to protecting others. He, however, concentrates more on his studies and trying to live a normal life, than the constant chaos and fighting that you partake in. He has settled down with a wife, and has many rivals.]  
  
"Okay. so he is kinda like me. That's good. Wouldn't want a guy like Ryoga with these abilities." Ranma added, his eyes narrowing slightly at the thought of him.  
  
[Yes, I have a great fear for the day Ryoga ever gains abilities such as the ones you now possess. His complete lack of observation and constantly putting innocents at risk would prove fatal, of this I am sure.] Kao responded, its ethereal voice whispering the words throughout the entire mind of the young pigtailed martial artist. A slight amount of contempt dripped from the light and mysterious voice that was Kao.  
  
[Spider-man however, fights villains trying to kill, steal or simply cause havoc. Not super-strong martial artists that hold grudges.]  
  
Ranma chuckled a bit and shifted, brushing a rock away from underneath him.  
  
"Sounds like a helluva guy. I'll have to meet him and thank him."  
  
[That may be unwise; my parent is currently bonded with a man who is set to kill Peter Parker.]  
  
Ranma's brows furrowed in concern. "I thought you said you were stronger than your parent?"  
  
Kao seemed to sigh in Ranma's head. [This is true, however I fear what others would think of me. My parent is a maniac, not caring if he kills or destroys, as long as he has a host. He loves the feelings of anger, malice and hatred.]  
  
Ranma sat up, cross-legged and went over the information slowly. "Would Peter stand a chance against your parent?"  
  
[It depends on if Parker knew of my predecessors weaknesses.]  
  
Ranma ran that through his mind several times and sighed. He wanted to help this guy, after all he did owe him for the cool abilities, but he didn't have the money to get to America, and he doubted greatly if Genma would even let him go.  
  
"We're gonna have to wait it out then. hopefully Spider-man can figure something out."  
  
[I would advise that Host Ranma concentrate on his own future, rather than dwell on the futures of others.]  
  
Sighing, Ranma smirked a bit at Kao. "Yeah, I know. School is almost over, I am pretty sure Akane is gonna go to college. Ucchan too. I doubt I got the grades to get into a college at the moment, even after your help. You came just a little late Kao."  
  
[My apologies. I will try to hasten my future actions.]  
  
"No, It's not that you were slow, its just you showed up too late for my grades to raise that much."  
  
Silence reigned for several seconds as both entities were left to their own devices. Ranma thinking of his future and Kao silently observing Ranma's ideas.  
  
[I believe that it would be ideal for us to return to your abode, Host Ranma. My sensors indicate that it is nearly one in the morning.]  
  
Jerked from his thoughts by the wispy voice, Ranma quickly stood up and walked to the edge of the building. "Sheesh! 1 o'clock already? We gotta hurry home." Ranma muttered as he began to walk down the side of the building, his feet gripping the sheer windowed surface of the office building like a magnet."  
  
[I would advise that Host Ranma train more with the web, it seems that he has been negligent to using it.]  
  
Ranma frowned lightly and looked down at his palm. It wasn't that he was afraid, oh no. It was just that it didn't feel. right. He didn't know how to explain it. "Yeah, I guess your right Kao. I know how to use all my other abilities well." Ranma said, and slowly raised his palm and flexed his wrist.  
  
A thick strand of black and red ooze flowed forth from his wrist, strands spinning and wrapping about themselves as it flew forward, tumbling about before it finally hit the top of another building, the amorphous solid instantly cementing itself to the slick surface and providing a solid strand for Ranma to swing from.  
  
"Here goes nothing."  
  
Ranma lifted his feet and gracefully fell downward, his arms spread behind him as he drifted to the roads below, before the strand of his suit that he was holding in his hand became taut, and his descent slowed and he slowly began to swing forward in an arc, building up speed steadily before he reached the peak of his ride and let go of his first strand, making another shoot from his other wrist and gripping that as he swung his way towards Nerima.  
  
So focused on his swings, Ranma did not notice the figure below, watching him with a keen eye, bearing a camera.  
  
~The next morning, Tendo Dojo~  
  
Ranma lazily flipped himself upright as his father once again tossed him out the window. He landed upon a rock that circled the koi pond, lazily yawning and scratching his stomach as he watched his father leap out after him.  
  
"You're getting lazy boy! I can easily detect attacks against me in my sleep!"  
  
"Only 'cuz you get attacked in your sleep so much, old man. With all the people who tried to get you for stealing for them, I am not surprised." Ranma responded, stretching his sore muscles and paying little attention to his father.  
  
"Silence! Come on boy! HYA!" With that, Genma leaped into the air and stretched his leg out, preparing to deal a flying kick to his worthless offspring.  
  
Ranma looked at Genma with half-lidded eyes and sighed as he caught Genma's foot with one hand and quickly redirected Genma's motion over his head and into the pond.  
  
A muffled thud resounded as a soaking panda floated to the surface of the Tendo pond bearing a large bump on his head.  
  
Ranma ignored his father and slumped into the family room, taking his seat at the table and waiting for Kasumi to bring out some of her culinary expertise.  
  
Soun Tendo, head of the Tendo household, Disciple of Happosai, and all around cry baby sat at the head of the table and looked at Genma's still form floating in the pond.  
  
"Should we not help him, Ranma?" Soun asked, his eyes portraying the message that Ranma should go heft his father out of the pond.  
  
"Nah, he says he can wake up when he is attacked, I am pretty sure that goes for being drowned too."  
  
As if by some signal, Genma suddenly started thrashing wildly and making as much noise as he could, holding up various signs that said things like: "It wasn't me I swear!" "The boy already has a fiancée!" and "I didn't do it, it was my no good son!"  
  
Ranma promised that the old man would get a good beating sometime in the future when Kasumi walked in, a kind smile upon her face. "Here is the paper, father."  
  
Soun thanked his daughter and took the paper, instantly flipping to the comics.  
  
Ranma ignored the entire exchange, until something on the front page caught his eye.  
  
A picture covered most of the front page, and on it was a silhouette of a man standing on a building, sideways. The moon sat directly behind him, and softly illuminated his features. His arm was raised directly above his head, and from it a rope-like object hung.  
  
The heading above it was written in bold letters, easily seen by Ranma.  
  
"Spider-man in Tokyo!"  
  
'Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit.' Ranma thought as his muscles tensed. He immediately snatched the paper from Mr. Tendo and looked over the article, trying to discover what they knew.  
  
"Now son, if you wanted the paper you could have asked and I would have given it." Mr. Tendo said in a condescending voice, apparently failing to notice Ranma's attention, or lack thereof.  
  
But Ranma paid it no mind as his attention was solely focused upon the paper in his hands, quickly reading through it as fast as he could, trying to discover what they knew.  
  
A heavy sigh of relief escaped Ranma as he finished reading. They knew nothing of his identity, and apparently the only witness was a drunken reporter who just happened to have a camera on him when he had swung off. Ranma made a mental note to be more careful in his future; his senses were obviously becoming lax.  
  
'Kao?' Ranma thought, studying the photograph with a firm frown upon his face.  
  
[Yes, Host Ranma?]  
  
'I need you to take those blocks off of my senses. I think I need them.' Ranma decided, and cringed as he remembered what happened the last time he let his senses run rampant. His already abnormally high senses had been boosted even more so with the bond, and he found that even a footstep was deafening. Thus, he had Kao place several limiters on his senses and help with his dilemma.  
  
Setting the paper down, still ignoring Mr. Tendo's banter, Ranma slowly walked outside and leapt to the roof, immediately taking a lotus position and concentrating deeply. He let out a deep breath, allowing calm to envelope his body.  
  
[Are you ready, Host Ranma?]  
  
'Drop em Kao.' Ranma thought, and immediately opened his mouth in a silent scream, raising his head to the heavens as the sounds, scents and sights took over.  
  
He heard a dog chasing a cat several blocks down, roaring as if a grizzly was next to his ear, chasing a tiger. Arrogant driver's curses and honking washed over his mind, allowing nothing else to be concentrated on.  
  
He could smell the vomit on the shirt of a drunkard in an ally several houses down. The putrid stench of bile and sake heavily invading Ranma's sensitive nose, causing him to retch in disgust.  
  
And when he finally managed to open his eyes, he gasped at the fluorescent kaleidoscope that had become his field of view. He could see the energies every object was giving off, from rocks to trees, even the insects that crawled amongst the grass. Looking down, Ranma gave off a surprised gasp as he saw the outlines of every figure in the Tendo household, each one giving off a unique aura that catered to their personality. Nabiki's was a calm cool, Kasumi's a heavenly serene glow that engulfed her. Mr. Tendo's was of cowardice and trickery, as was Genma's. Looking to Akane, Ranma saw the familiar red glow of anger and malice engulfing her.  
  
'Kao. too much, stop.' Was all Ranma could hope to think as he tried to stand.  
  
In his state of wild and erratic sensory though, Ranma tripped over his own feet and tumbled down the roof, hitting the ground face first with a satisfying thud, before he rose to his knees and suddenly got one last strong whiff of the hobo's vile puke, then emptied the contents of his own stomach on the lawn as the scent became too much to bear, the fell backwards and stared at the sky with half-lidded eyes, lying in his own filth.  
  
The Tendo's immediately rushed out to Ranma, asking him if he was alright and questioning what had occurred. Ranma could not answer, as he stared at the gigantic aura of the sun, surrounding the entire planet in its god-like power, before finally all of Ranma's senses dropped from their enhanced state, allowing him to regain some of his mind and answer the Tendo's, albeit shakily.  
  
"Fine. just need sleep. something bad, poison maybe." Ranma murmured, trying to rise to his feet without success.  
  
"Maa. But Akane wasn't cooking." Kasumi stated, her gentle voice attracting the attention of one particular Tendo.  
  
"Kasumi! I am not that bad of a cook!" Akane shouted, turning an atomic red and turning away, trying to hide her embarrassment.  
  
"Yeah right, sis. We both know your cooking is considered a biohazard to anything that consumes its health." Nabiki smirked at the witty comment, causing Akane to fume silently.  
  
Ranma was going to snicker, but thought of his current state and decided that a mallet ride to who knows where was not a good idea. Instead, he shrugged off support and finally triumphed in his quest to stand, and moved on shaky legs inside.  
  
From behind, a call from one of the Tendo daughters made him pause. "Hey, get better Ranma."  
  
Ranma turned, identifying the speaker as Nabiki, smiled and nodded. "Thanks for your concern Nabiki. I just need some rest."  
  
Nabiki was about to retort and deny any concern, but found that it would be pointless. Instead, a gentle blush came to her cheeks and she nodded back.  
  
The second the fact that she was blushing registered in her mind Nabiki's eyes widened and she quickly retreated to her bedroom.  
  
'I can't be falling for him.' Nabiki thought as she lay on her bed, one arm resting across her forehead as she stared at her ceiling. Turning to her nightstand, she opened up the top drawer, withdrawing a leather-bound notebook from within. Opening it carefully, she flipped through the pages until she found the object she was looking for and pulled it out.  
  
It was a picture of Ranma, nude in his male form. The only one she had been able to get a hold of. And the only picture she had not sold.  
  
'Who am I kidding.' Nabiki thought wryly, and slipped her hand down her pants, engaging in some more intimate acts with the thoughts of a certain pig-tailed martial artist doing things to her that involved whipped cream, chocolate syrup and his tongue.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
AN: I'll let you figure out what Nabiki was thinking. ^_^. Chapter 2, done and done. Hrm, I am not as pleased with this chapter as I think I should be, so a rewrite may be in the future, when I get far enough along. I have never written a lemon, and not really sure if I am ever going to, but as this is an R fic, some of that stuff may turn up. I know some of you are going, WHY NABIKI!? But know this, loyal readers (you better all review too) Nabiki has the hots for him, but does not have him. (R/N Fics always get my attention for some reason.) This should add some sexual tension at least, especially if Ranma does get matched up with another girl. (Whoo, catfight here I come!)  
  
Read and Review please. Domo.  
  
- Gundraw 


	3. Chapter of the third

Chaos and Carnage Chapter 3: Goodbyes  
  
Reviewer responses:  
  
hades: O_O You wouldn't dare.  
  
Jason: I toyed with the idea of a Ranma/Masaki relation, but decided that would end up with too much power for Ranma. I want him to be strong, but not so strong it's scary. I do have an idea however as to how Ranma could access the Jurian energy, though am reluctant to put it in.  
  
Macross VF1: I plan on trying to limit the fast forwards as much as I can, though I feel it may be necessary when a long period of time passes and nothing occurs. I know Ranma may have adapted too fast, so I plan on rewriting the first chapter (sometime). However, this is Ranma, and remember that adaptability is one of his greatest assets. Hell, revising techniques on the spot? I sure as hell couldn't do that. Gimme a week or two and you may have something new -_-;  
  
Integra-Hellsing: Ah, another KOS fan. I plan on paying more attention to that, and alternating updating this fic and RKOS to gimme some variety. (That's the plan at least.) The next chapter should already be up by the time I post this. And if I ever decide to stop writing it, I will allow you to continue it, you basically just called dibs. I am surprised at how much positive feedback both these stories have gotten really. I never would have thought that some of _my_ ideas would have ended up with so many fans, but hey I am not going to complain.  
  
Kura-Kun: Catfights mean love!? That explains a lot. Excellent.(Plotting evil) And yes, Who doesn't want Ranma to have a symbiote!?  
  
Aqualens: Don't worry. If I do plan on writing a lemon, it will be in a side story, where the main event is the lemon, and the chapter title will have all the necessary warnings and such.  
  
X247: =P  
  
MATCHUP STATUS!!!! (Insert special effects) I really hate having to constantly reupdate this when I am in the middle of a chapter and I get another review. Maybe I could get some sort of slave.  
  
Ryoko What is it with people and a Ranma/Ryoko pairing? Hmm.. . . . . . 8  
  
Rogue . . . . . 6  
  
Tsunami . . . . . 4  
  
Psylocke interesting, I admit I could see this one happening . . . . . 1  
  
Nabiki Woot! You and me Spyder! . . . . . 3  
  
Nabiki is on the board people! Now if only I can get Kasumi up there too. I mean.  
  
Ryoko is winning by a landslide, a whole 2 votes, and I can only imagine what Ranma's reaction to her very forward nature would be. Not unlike Tenchi's I imagine.  
  
Rogue. This would be harder with the whole physical contact issue, but I assure you there would be something that would change that, for Ranma at least. I mean a purely verbal relationship in an R fic. that would get boring.  
  
Only one person from the anime/manga is up there and that is Nabiki. who isn't even a former fiancée. Well, I must say, I thought at least one person would vote Akane/Ukyo/Shampoo. Not that I am complaining mind you.  
  
And now, a new question has emerged. Should he be related to someone from Jurai? I am reluctant to do so, at least right away. Right now, that would make Ranma far too powerful for some of the villains, and he would wipe the streets with them while whistling "What a Wonderful World." There is also the possibility of becoming part Masu, but that may also be over the top.  
  
Later however, as foes become more powerful. I can see this most definitely happening. Hell, the girls in the story think so. (Is being held by several women at knife-point) *gulp* Tell me what you think.  
  
Enough ranting!  
  
Ranma sighed as he walked home. School was out. Ranma had graduated (mostly due to Kao's gifts, but hey Ranma wasn't complaining) school and was now a free man. Akane and Ukyo had graduated as well, with flying colors.  
  
So, with his torture finally through, Ranma's thoughts were on the future. He wondered what exactly he was going to do. The idea of staying at the Tendo dojo was shot down; as Ranma thought of the amount of freeloading he had done already. For two years, the Tendo's had welcomed him in their home, and he did nothing to repay them.  
  
But what was he to do? Sure, he may have a vast expanse of knowledge now (once again, thanks to Kao), but he was sure that getting a job was not as easy at it seemed, especially one that paid enough for an apartment in Tokyo.  
  
He could always steal, but that thought was discarded the moment it came to mind. There was no way he was taking after his father.  
  
So, with his head down and his mind clouded with thoughts on the future, Ranma entered the Tendo residence, and made a beeline to the dojo.  
  
'What about you Kao? Any ideas?'  
  
Ranma could nearly feel the entity shrug as it responded in it's hollow voice, [None, host Ranma.]  
  
Ranma figured as much, Kao was an alien after all, and probably knew little of the careers on Earth.  
  
He silently began his kata as moved across the floor, making nary a sound while moving with a fluid grace and precision, and his worries slowly melted away into the dance-like steps of his practice.  
  
For several more days, Ranma thought of possibilities, checking the paper when no one seemed to be paying attention, looking through the classified section for any sign of a well-paying job, but for days nothing came up.  
  
One resident of the dojo did notice, and she became worried the moment she deduced what it was he was looking for. She did not want him to leave, but she knew that he would eventually. Why would he stay? There was nothing here for him, other than her sister, who was oblivious as ever to his feelings.  
  
Cursing herself for not picking him from the start, Nabiki sank lower into the furo. It was her third bath that day, all of which seemed to become lengthy because of certain. excersises.  
  
She slowly sank lower into the tub, letting the water rise above her mouth as she reached the peak of her pleasure, a silent scream slowly being let into the waters of the tub.  
  
Ranma sneezed and wondered who was thinking about him as he looked over the paper.  
  
His eyes suddenly brightened as he saw something that showed promise. It would be a temporary thing, that was definite, but it would give him enough money to start.  
  
It was then that Akane ran into the room, giddy with excitement, clutching a piece of paper to her chest.  
  
"I got in!" She shouted, and immediately smiled, expecting something.  
  
Ranma, Soun and Genma blinked and looked at each other for some sign of comprehension as to what Akane had said.  
  
Akane growled and held out the sheet to her father, who grabbed it and read it over. A big smile was soon plastered on his face as he rose and embraced his daughter with a grand hug, tears flying out of his eyes as he congratulated her.  
  
Nabiki chose that moment to come down, her hair still damp from her bath, and after taking a brief look at the display her father and little sister were putting on, she spied the discarded letter and read it over.  
  
Her eyes widened briefly before she shrugged and handed the letter to the thoroughly confused Ranma, who read it over.  
  
Dear Ms. Akane Tendo,  
  
You are hereby accepted to Tokyo University, we would like to thank you for applying and congratulate you on your efforts. Enclosed is a.  
  
Ranma read no further as he looked up at Akane and smiled weakly. He was proud, but he was hurt slightly that she did not seem to notice that she would be leaving Ranma. Sure, the thrill of the moment was there, but she did not even seem aware of the fact that she was going to leave him behind.  
  
The phone chose this moment to interrupt the weeping Soun and ecstatic Akane, and Kasumi walked over and picked up the phone, a light smile on her face the entire time.  
  
"Moshi Moshi?"  
  
Several seconds followed as she listened, before she asked the caller to hold and gestured to Akane with the phone. "It's Ukyo, she wants to speak with you."  
  
This was not an expected event, so Akane cautiously took the phone from her sister and held it up to her ear. "Hello?"  
  
More haunting silence drifted through the house, as Ranma rocked nervously on his knees, finding himself greatly uncomfortable with the lack of sound.  
  
"Oh really?! Me too! Yes! Yes! Oh, that would be wonderful! See you tonight!" With that, Akane hung the phone up with a larger smile on her face as she turned back to the rest of the family. "Guess what?"  
  
Ranma swore he heard a cricket chirp, but discarded it as something else.  
  
"Ukyo got accepted into Tokyo University too! She wants us all to come over for a party to celebrate!"  
  
Everyone immediately brightened when she had said that, and soon they began to talk to Akane, probing her about what classes she was going to take and where she would be staying.  
  
Everyone, but Ranma that was. His thoughts were kept to himself, as he sat to the side, thinking to himself. 'Everyone is leaving. The Nerima Wrecking Crew has grown up. I should be happy that finally the chaos is going to stop. But I feel. sad. Depressed even. Everyone I know and care for is leaving me. I don't want to be alone. What should I do Kao?'  
  
It was more of a rhetorical question, but the symbiote answered nonetheless. [It is beyond my current abilities to be able to help in this situation Host Ranma.]  
  
Ranma shook his head and stood, ascending the stairs and leaving Akane with her company. He had some serious thinking to do.  
  
~_~_~_~_~_Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean_~_~_~_~_~_~  
  
Peter Parker sighed, careful not to make too much noise as his wife slept next to him. It had taken a lot of work to convince her to go on vacation to Japan, but he had done it. She seemed quite excited about the hot springs in fact.  
  
But of course, there was the real reason Peter was going. It started as just something he overheard, but soon it spread across New York like a wildfire.  
  
There was a picture of someone, standing on a wall in Tokyo. The paper had said it was Spider-Man, but Peter knew that to be impossible. He had been in New York.  
  
His thoughts went to Venom, one of his newest enemies. Could it be him? He didn't think so. Venom normally chose a much bulkier appearance, with large muscles covering his body. The picture had shown a figure with an athletic body, but still with powerful muscles. Not unlike his own body.  
  
Answers refused to come and Peter rested his head back on the seat, contemplating the many problems in his life. Venom came to mind, who was a high priority, underneath the doppelganger from Tokyo. How did Venom know his name? Did he know who it was beneath the symbiotic suit he had recovered in the Secret Wars?  
  
Sleep finally overtook the wall-crawler, but the worries remained etched in his mind.  
  
In the back of the plane, a figure sat, alone. He wore a leather coat, with a white undershirt and a pair of deep blue jeans. His eyes burned with hatred as he looked at the picture again, and a sneer slowly emerged on his face.  
  
"Running to Japan won't save you. Parker." Eddie growled, and inside his body the symbiote squirmed in delight at the feelings of hatred and malice. It had a good host this time, that much was certain. Unlike it's previous host, this one didn't mind hurting people. It wondered if it's offspring had the same luck it had.  
  
~_~_~_~_~Tokyo, Nerima District~_~_~_~_~_~  
  
Ranma sneezed again and rubbed his nose absently.  
  
The sneeze was lost on the others though, who were currently celebrating Ukyo and Akane's acceptance into Tokyo University.  
  
The entire Crew was there, from Ryoga (he turned up in the middle, asking to be directed to Tokyo) to Happosai, who was currently passed out on a pile of various female undergarments, sake easily recognizable on his breath.  
  
Ryoga was smiling and enjoying himself, obviously proud of Akane's achievement. He and Akari had been going steady, and he resigned Akane to Ranma.  
  
Mousse on the other hand, was quite unhappy. Earlier, he had heard Shampoo state that with Ukyo and Akane out of the way; she could be around Ranma more. He was left to glare at Ranma the entire time, who was oblivious to the harsh stare.  
  
Cologne was enjoying herself, happy that the two were leaving. With such obstacles out of the way, Shampoo could easily worm her way into Ranma's heart.  
  
Ukyo and Akane were talking excitedly about what classes they were going to take, and where they would be staying and other such details.  
  
Soun and Genma were currently drinking all the sake they could get, celebrating their daughter/in-law's achievement.  
  
Ranma nodded to himself, and took a deep breath, before standing up from his seat and getting the attention of most of the room. 'Wish me luck Kao.' Ranma thought as sweat collected on his head.  
  
[I wish you luck, Host Ranma]  
  
"I have an announcement to make." Ranma said. Immediately all of the noise in the restaurant ceased, and again the eerie silence took a hold over the room.  
  
Ranma glanced about, seeing expectant stares from everyone. They probably expected him to make his decision about the fiancée mess. Well, they were dead wrong.  
  
"I'm leaving Nerima."  
  
Yay! More Cliffhangers! Cliffhangers for all! *prances about happily*  
  
Oh, timelines, ne? This is after Ranma is out of school, so obviously is after the Saffron incident. It is just after Spider-Man encounters Venom for the first time, and I may even change that around to fit the story better.  
  
Next: How will the others react? Spider-Man really is in Tokyo! And so is Venom.  
  
Read and Review! Ja! -Gundraw 


	4. Chapter of the fourth

Chaos and Carnage Chapter 4: Roommates and Aliens don't mix.  
  
Ryoko doubled her score last chapter... Seems like unless everyone votes for someone else, Ryoko will be the one (or at least one of the ones if Ranma somehow hooks up multiple girls... knowing Ranma though, that is very possible -_-; *sigh* if only women flocked to me like they do Ranma... oh wait, they do. Heh heh... *starts crying*).... 16  
  
Rogue ... 9  
  
Nabiki ... 9  
  
Tsunami ... 7  
  
Psylocke ... 1  
  
Akane ... 1 (I seriously doubt Akane winning...)  
  
Kiyone ... 1  
  
Belldandy ... 1 (I actually was going to put AMS in way later in the story, meh)  
  
Storm ... 1 (bit of an age difference here, but love knows no boundaries! *trying to sound romantic*)  
  
Ami ... 1  
  
Attention: The match up pole will be coming to a close soon. Cast your votes if you want to see the Ranma end up with the woman you want! Otherwise, it's gonna be Ryoko... Not that I care, Ranma is gonna have a handful with her... hehehehe  
  
I wasn't as pleased with my last chapter either, and I know it was short... But I needed to move the story ahead and those kinds of chapters will turn up (unfortunately) so, bear with me.  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
  
Alex Ultra: Take your pills man! Yeesh, you got more personalities than I do! Wait a second... no, you don't. ^_^' Ranma, a saiyan? On his mothers side? ... Er... How can I put this kindly... No. Ranma's mother is nothing like a saiyan, and I still don't know if a DB crossover is in store for this fic. I might, though I doubt it.  
  
All of you who say that Ranma being Jurian is overused: Really? I have looked around, and surprisingly found few good stories where Ranma actually is Jurian, and if they are good they are never complete, which pisses me off to no end. I appreciate the feedback, but I do not agree with it, at least that part of it. Anyway, I wouldn't follow the standard, Nodoka/Achika relationship (sisters or whatever) I would most likely make it in a very peculiar manner. The main reason Ranma would be a Jurian relative remember is only because of the multiple wives. I have an idea that I may want to run across a select few that lets Ranma be Jurian, but not be able to access the power... I am not going to reveal it though XD Your going to have to wait a good few chapters for me to even start that part of the story. For now, it's centered on Ranma and Kao, Spidey and Venom. In other words, some fights are coming. I don't think this story will end up with a Ranma/Jurian relation but watch my other stories, you never know ...^_^  
  
All of you who like the story: You like me! You really, really like me! *tear* ... Anyway, thanks for the support, the reviews help the story go on.  
  
LIME WARNING ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~  
  
Ranma glanced around at the various people gathered and soon found the awkward silence very uncomfortable. He scuffed his foot, scratching the back of his head and looked down, obviously trying to distract himself from the uncomfortable setting.  
  
He was acutely aware of the many eyes gazing at him with accusing stares. If anything, at that moment Ranma just wanted to crawl into a hole and not come out for the rest of the night.  
  
Ranma was extremely relieved when Cologne broke the silence. "What exactly brought you to this decision, son in law?"  
  
Though the question only made him nervous again. "Well, I've been freeloadin' at the Tendo's place for 'bout two years now... Now that I am out of school, I can't just keep staying there and living off of them... I need to go out into the world, get a job and handle myself. I need to if I want to succeed, right now I know that if I took over the dojo I wouldn't have a clue as to what to do... I need to learn to manage my life, my money... all that stuff. I ain't breakin' off the engagements... I'm gonna try and find a way to settle this with no loss of honor on anyone's side."  
  
Cologne nodded. There was wisdom in his words, true. However he still left some things hazy, which left everyone hanging in limbo.  
  
"So, you will marry Akane then!" Soun shouted, wrapping his arm around Ranma. When Ranma had said he wasn't taking over the dojo, Soun interpreted it as he wasn't taking it over yet. Ah, ignorance is bliss.  
  
Ranma sighed and shook his head. "No, the same is with Ucchan... I marry her, we got the restaurant and all, but I am no good at managing money... And with Shampoo... Well, I am not sure if we would go back to China or what, but if we stayed and kept the Cat Café, well I would drive that into the ground too."  
  
Cologne smiled weakly. A diplomatic answer. Not like her son-in-law to act this way, but it was to the approval of most present.  
  
Soun looked crestfallen, and the tears began to flow. "My daughter isn't good enough for you!?"  
  
Ranma sighed and shook his head. "Alright, lemme get this straight. Ukyo, Akane and Shampoo are all very beautiful, strong and bright girls. I would not mind having any of them as my wife! But, for now, I need to get away from the chaos that is Nerima, get some independence and experience with life, and then I'll get back to ya."  
  
The restaurant once again was submerged in silence, as everyone stared at Ranma, who quickly grew self-concious. The words that had just come out of his mouth showed more intelligence than they ever had in the past two years.  
  
"Ryoga, I expect you to take care of Akane for me, ok?" Ranma asked of his friendly rival. Sure, they fought. It used to be serious, but now it was more of a tradition to fight. Ryoga had Akari now, and Ranma was sure Ryoga wouldn't make any moves. He was far too shy to try and steal Akane when he was gone. If they did get together, Ranma would know it was most likely Akane who started the relationship.  
  
Ryoga nodded numbly, still believing this whole encounter to be a dream.  
  
Ranma then approached Cologne, and bowed to her. "It was great training under you Cologne, I learned a lot. I'm gonna miss havin you around to teach and help me."  
  
Cologne smiled and gave a nod, choosing to stay silent. Ranma had not said he would return with Shampoo, but he had not said that he wouldn't either. He was still fair game. The game was just moving.  
  
Walking up to the Tendo's, Ranma smiled and bowed deeply again. "Thanks for letting me stay at your place, I'll try to repay you as soon as I can." They all nodded in response, Soun and Genma were wary of Ranma leaving, but he had not broken off the engagement. There was still a chance. And after Jusendo, Genma and Soun were wary of making Ranma do anything.  
  
Turning to Nabiki, Ranma sighed. "I'll try to pay back all the debts I have got, but I still think those photos of me that you sold to Kuno were worth far more than any debt I've got."  
  
Nabiki couldn't move. She simply gazed into his bittersweet blue eyes. They pierced into her soul, accusing her of using and abusing him, but at the same time warmed her heart with a kind and gentle stare that made her knees weak and panties wet.  
  
"Kasumi, you have got to be one the kindest people I know. I hope that you are always happy, you really deserve it."  
  
Kasumi just blushed gently and looked at her feet, smiling.  
  
Finally, Ranma approached his fiancées. All three stood together, staring at Ranma like this was some sort of dream, and Ranma was about to say something they each dreaded to hear.  
  
Smiling weakly, Ranma embraced each separately, awkwardly wrapping his arms around them before stepping back. "I am tempted to say thanks for nothing, but I know that is not true. While you each may have caused me no end of trouble at some point or another, you also stuck by me and helped me out. I can't really say if I love any of you, but I care for each of you. Thanks for putting up with me, and each other."  
  
They each gazed at him, their eyes slowly getting hazy as tears threatened to spill from their eyes. Ranma looked at everyone in the restaurant one last time and smiled warmly, before exiting.  
  
Inside, everyone simply stared in shock at the door. Waiting to wake up. It was surreal, Ranma had just left. The only constant in their lives, the person that was always at the center of everything, had left Nerima. Possibly for good. Nabiki quickly realized that she may never see him again, and rushed out the door after him.  
  
Cologne merely chuckled, she had thought the middle Tendo sister was acting strange. It seems Ranma has another possible suitor. "I wonder how that boy does it..." Cologne muttered as she hopped back to her seat. The image of a shirtless Ranma appeared in her mind, followed by the time he briefly was in love with her. "If I was only several hundred years younger... Well, I guess I can see what others see in him..."  
  
Outside, Nabiki had been heading to the Tendo dojo when a voice called out behind her.  
  
"Nabiki?"  
  
Turning, she was surprised to see Ranma standing on the roof of Ucchans, his backpack on his back.  
  
"You are fast Saotome..."  
  
Ranma shrugged and hopped down, landing lightly on his feet. "I brought my pack before I came, I wanted to make a quick getaway."  
  
Nabiki quickly shook the shocked expression of her face and looked up into Ranma's eyes. They seemed expectant, almost as if he were in a hurry. Looking around quickly to see if anyone was looking, Nabiki grabbed his hand and pulled him into the alley besides Ucchans.  
  
"Woah, what's up? I said I'd pay you back! I can't pay you now, I need the money for an apartm...."  
  
Ranma was cut off as he was slammed up against the wall and Nabiki's lips pressed against his hungrily. His eyes widened as Nabiki's hands roamed across his chest and back, feeling the rippling muscles and the power they contained.  
  
Trying to mouth a protest to the rough treatment, Ranma found his mouth suddenly filled with Nabiki's tongue as it swirled and danced around, rubbing his own tongue.  
  
His hormones had already kicked in, despite Ranma's attempt to suppress them, and soon he found that he had grown hard from the closeness of the woman and the very hungry kiss she was giving him.  
  
Instead of crying out in shock or pulling away with a look of disgust, Nabiki moaned and leaned closer, trapping Ranma between his torso and her stomach. Her hands roamed down his back until they reached his rear, where they both squeezed the flesh lovingly.  
  
Ranma, at this point, was about at his breaking point. For years he had suppressed his hormones, and despite three very lovely women throwing themselves at him, never acted on them. But he knew that he couldn't last much longer, especially with a cute young girl like Nabiki kissing and squeezing him this way, so he gently grabbed her shoulders and slowly pulled her away.  
  
Nabiki whimpered in protest, but sighed when she saw Ranma's questioning gaze.  
  
"Not that I minded that, but what on earth are you doing?" Ranma asked, his voice even, despite the raging fire now burning in his body.  
  
"I-I... I love you Ranma..." Nabiki choked out, tears in her eyes as she looked into his bright blue orbs. "I... I only wanted to feel you close, before you left me forever!"  
  
Ranma sadly gazed down at Nabiki. Despite his efforts, another girl fell for him. He didn't know why, but he seemed to attract men and women like moth to the flame. Men for his girl side, of course.  
  
Glancing at the sky, Ranma wondered what he did to deserve this.  
  
-Asgard-  
  
Venus smiled a very sultry smile as she gazed at her avatar. "Deserve? Why Ranma, you make it sound like a bad thing..."  
  
-Back in Nerima-  
  
Ranma looked back at Nabiki, suddenly getting a chill down his spine. "Nabiki, what makes you think I am leaving you forever?"  
  
Nabiki looked up, her face stained with two tracks of tears running down her face. "Y-Yo-Your leaving Nerima... I doubt you are going to come back to this hell hole. I... I only wanted to feel you once..." Nabiki slowly turned her gaze down to the large tent in Ranma's pants.  
  
Ranma looked down to see what Nabiki was staring at and quickly covered himself up, squeaking in fright.  
  
Nabiki giggled at his antics, feeling slightly better.  
  
Once he head his... tent under control, Ranma looked into Nabiki's eyes with warm and compassionate eyes. "Nabiki, you are out of school too, what stops you from moving out?"  
  
Nabiki thought about that for a moment. Why hadn't she moved out? Her sister was, she should be too. Her father would need a job, but he needed to start taking care of himself anyway.  
  
Adjusting the large traveling pack on his back, Ranma smiled. "Look me up sometime, we can get together or something."  
  
Nabiki nodded and watched as Ranma turned to leave but reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Ranma... can you do me one favor before you go?"  
  
Ranma turned and looked at Nabiki. She was a mess. Right now, it was almost pitiful, the state that she was in. Ranma sighed and nodded, getting a feeling that he would regret it.  
  
"Kiss me... please."  
  
Ranma blanched and was about to downright refuse, but when he saw the expression on Nabiki's face his heart melted and his willpower all but disintegrated. Nodding and smiling weakly, Ranma stepped forward and leaned down slightly, slowly and apprehensively bringing his lips toward Nabiki's.  
  
The moment before contact lasted a lifetime for Nabiki, but when it finally came, it was well worth it. Her loins exploded in heat and her breath became deep ragged. His arms slowly wrapped around her as the kiss deepened and Nabiki's eyes rolled up into the back of her head. For someone who hadn't really kissed much (only been kissed) Ranma was an expert at it.  
  
His hormones took over as he kissed her and he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her warm body against his and their flesh touched, sending little tingling sensations of pleasure through both of their minds. He was soon aware of the tent between his legs pitching itself again, and only pulled her tighter.  
  
For Nabiki, the hot pole jabbing her waist was too much and she took one hand that had been behind Ranma's head and ran it down his chest and into his pants, grabbing a hold of him. Her slender hand couldn't completely surround him, but she still grabbed on tightly, like the object in her hands was her lifeline.  
  
Ranma suddenly stopped and his eyes shot open as he felt someone grab him between the legs and start rubbing. Looking down, he realized that it was indeed Nabiki's hand.  
  
Nabiki wondered why Ranma stopped and noticed him looking down. She followed his gaze and realized that there was a hand down Ranma's pants. Further investigation revealed that it was her hand. And her hand was stroking...  
  
Nabiki quickly squeaked and pulled the hand out, blushing atomic rouge.  
  
Ranma merely stared down at his pants, trying to gain control of his body. The sensations he had felt were beyond anything he had experienced. He was well aware of the throbbing in his pants, and was still trying to get used to it.  
  
His gaze traveled up to the blushing Nabiki and he decided that it would be best to leave. "Thanks for everything, look me up, gotta go bye!" And with that, Ranma quickly hopped up on top of the restaurant and made his way to the train station, trying to calm himself down.  
  
Nabiki watched him go and brought the hand that grasped him up to her face. She sniffed it tentatively, and her eyes fluttered and heart pounded as she took in his scent, straight from the source. She wouldn't be sleeping that night. Though one would hear a slight buzzing and whimpering coming from her door for the duration of nighttime.  
  
Ranma slowly rocked in his seat on the train to downtown Tokyo. A slight flush covering his face and an odd grin resting upon his mouth.  
  
[Host Ranma, what is wrong?]  
  
Ranma simply grinned wider and shook his head. "Nothing... Nothing's the matter at all..." He let out a rather girlish giggle before continuing rocking.  
  
~_~_~_~_~_~_~  
  
That's all for this chapter and I...  
  
JUST KIDDING. BWAHAHAHAHAHHA  
  
Don't worry, there is plenty more. I just wanted to scare you. =P  
  
~_~_~_~_~_~_~  
  
Ranma yawned loudly as he tried to stay awake. Not a wink of sleep had been attained by the young man last night. He found himself unable to calm down after Nabiki's... kiss.  
  
At the moment, he was trying to pay attention to a young woman who was showing him around a decent sized apartment in the middle of downtown Tokyo. While not as expensive as some condominiums and houses in Japan, an apartment was no cheap investment. Ranma had been saving up money for some time now, (he had knew he would need it once he got kicked out or moved out... whichever came first) and so Ranma decided that a small apartment, not tiny, but small, would do. While not a great place to live, it was a start.  
  
"Uhm, excuse me, sir?" The woman giving him a tour asked, she appeared very nervous and a light red flush covered her cheeks. Her long black hair was tied back into a ponytail high on the back of her head. She wore a tight white shirt that allowed her generous assets to be clearly seen. A pair of dark pants and a matching jacket finished the ensemble, giving her the look of a hard working, but sexy woman.  
  
"Hm?" Ranma asked, his eyes snapping all the way open as the question forced his tired mind to think.  
  
"Uhm, are you single?"  
  
Ranma chuckled slightly and rubbed the back of his head, wondering what it was about him that women seemed to love. "Um, not looking really."  
  
"Oh..." The woman seemed somewhat downcast at that, but her cheerful demeanor returned a second later. "Anyway, what are you doing in Tokyo?"  
  
Ranma blinked. How did she know so much about him? "Uh, I just moved out... and am in the process of getting an apartment in Tokyo... as you can tell."  
  
The girl blushed in embarrassment and nodded. "Oh, that's right! You wanted to buy the apartment huh? Well, lemme check the price..."  
  
Glancing at her clipboard, Sakura flipped through a couple of sheets until she pulled out the sheet with the prices for the various apartments in the complex.  
  
"Well, normally the price is a bit high, but I can't just have you paying that now can I? Here, the least I could do for you is lower the price a bit..." She stated as she scribbled down some numbers quickly and glanced at Ranma for approval.  
  
Ranma nodded and smiled at the generous discount he was given. He didn't understand why he was given one exactly, but he wasn't about to question it. Pulling out his wallet and several large bills from that, Ranma handed over the money for the first month.  
  
She nodded as she put the money in an envelope and smiled. "I hope you enjoy your stay here, Ranma-san. If you need anything... anything at all..." She winked at him and gave him a sultry smile, making Ranma very nervous. "Feel free to call me." With that, Ranma's landlord walked out of the apartment, her hips swaying hypnotically and catching Ranma's gaze as he stared at her shapely rear. It was obvious she worked out by her hourglass figure. The sound of the door slamming shut shook Ranma from his hungry gaze and he shook his head as he thought about what he was staring at.  
  
'Man, ever since Nabiki gave me that kiss my feelings are outta control... I need to really learn to control myself... Lest I knock up my landlord. Ugh, that would be horrible.'  
  
[I must agree, Host Ranma. Sexual Intercourse with a woman apart from one of your fiancées at this point would be unadvisable. Also, this would cause what little honor you have left to be gone.]  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes and groaned. "Gee, thanks Kao. I don't think I woulda noticed that on my own. And my name is Ranma damnit! Not 'Host Ranma'!"  
  
[No problem, Host Ranma. My help is the least I could offer. And I am sorry, but my protocols are clear, and I am to refer to my host as with the title Host.]  
  
Ranma slapped his face and sighed.  
  
The next morning found Ranma amidst the many bodies of downtown Tokyo. His current destination was the bank, he needed to withdraw some money from an account he had set up a while ago.  
  
[Where are we headed again Host Ranma?] Kao asked, changing the subject. He already knew to tell the truth, but decided to indulge in a casual conversation with his host, who was more than happy to oblige him.  
  
'The bank, we need to get some money to furnish our apartment, it's bare as a skeleton right now.'  
  
[I do hope you plan on doing this legally Host Ranma.]  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed slightly. 'I ain't my pops Kao, I am withdrawing from an account.'  
  
[How will we acquire more currency then?]  
  
'You saw that ad in the paper, I think you know what I have in store...'  
  
The conversation continued, the two casually talking between themselves about money and a career as they entered the bank.  
  
[I still do not believe that that particular job would put my skills to their best use.] Kao's ethereal voice stated in a condescending manner.  
  
Ranma sighed mentally and nodded. 'Yeah, I don't think it is either Kao but I don't think that the hero business pays well. We will work on the hero thing as a side note, until we are comfortable, ne?'  
  
Kao seemed to nod. [This course of action is logical Host Ranma, however I hope you do not stall like you did with your fiancées.]  
  
Ranma frowned slightly. Kao had him there.  
  
Unfortunately, their chat was abruptly interrupted when the audible click of a gun resounded within Ranma's eardrum, causing him to look up.  
  
A 9mm pistol was pointed directly at his face, apparently in his discussion with Kao, he failed to notice the hostile takeover of the bank that was currently in progress.  
  
"Aren't guns illegal in Japan...?" Ranma muttered, his brow furrowing in concentration.  
  
A deep and gruff voice responded, obviously belonging to a the shady character that was currently holding the weapon. "Indeed they are, luckily we got connections."  
  
Ranma immediately glanced around and noticed all the people in the bank were either A} Huddled together in a corner under the watch of two men with semi automatic machine guns. Or B}Carrying a firearm of some kind and currently extracting money or watching the hostages. All in all, not the greatest of situations.  
  
"Apparently you didn't notice the cop cars outside, or the warning shouts they were giving you not to come in." The man hiding behind the pistol remarked, amusement in his voice. "Got something on your mind kid?"  
  
Ranma ignored the question. 'Kao, was someone yelling at me back there.'  
  
[Yes.]  
  
Ranma blinked, waiting for further details, but none came. Sighing, Ranma looked back up at the current antagonist of his life.  
  
Behind the man with the pistol, one of the many henchmen approached him, shaking like a leaf. Apparently the man confronting Ranma was the leader of sorts.  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow and silently gazed about, once again evaluating his chances. Nodding slightly, he struck out before the man could speak further. His palm smashed into the leaders wrist, causing him to drop the pistol and howl in pain as the fragile bones cracked and splintered from the blow.  
  
Not wasting time, Ranma quickly glided to the lackeys behind the man he had just hit, and systematically began striking their vital areas, causing them to cry out in pain and clutch various parts of their bodies as bones were broken and organs mashed.  
  
By the third man, the others had begun opening fire, trying to shoot the martial artist, but it seemed no better then shooting at water. They would fire and he would seem to know where the bullet was headed and swerve and flow out of the way before returning to where he had been, giving the illusion that the bullets went straight through him.  
  
Of course what they didn't know was that Ranma's newly enhanced danger sense let him feel where the bullets were going to fly, and not just feel a tingle it like he had before. Whenever he was about to get struck, or move into a dangerous area his brain tingled with a warning buzz. All-in-all it was an odd experience, not that Ranma was complaining. He found it quite helpful actually.  
  
With a rabbit punch to one terrorist's throat, Ranma looked around to see how he was doing. He had taken out most of the thieves, however three were still standing behind him, guns raised and firing a spray of bullets in his direction. Nodding to himself, Ranma turned around and started to weave through the bullets like they were barely moving, a blue orb slowly growing in his palm. The clicks of three empty magazines soon resounded within his ear and Ranma raised his arm, cupped his palms together and shouted:  
  
"Moko Takabisha!" (AN: For the longest time I thought it was Moko Takahabashi. Maybe I was mixing Takahashi-sans name with the attack, I dunno. Feel kinda stupid though.)  
  
The orb of ki energy expanded into a fireball of confidence fueled energy and plowed into the three men, sending them flying outside of the bank and into several police cars, their bodies crushing the windshields under their weight.  
  
Smiling, Ranma nodded to himself as he dusted off his hands by slapping them together several times.  
  
Of course, that is until a foot collided with the back of his head, sending him flying forward.  
  
So busy at marveling his own handiwork, Ranma had ignored the buzzing in his head that warned of danger. Rubbing the spot where he had been kicked irratibly, Ranma looked up to see what it was that had attacked him. It wasn't what he expected.  
  
There was a man in a primarily red costume with a black spider embroidered on the front, that was the center of a black web design that seemed to cover the entire suit. The eyes were large and white, and Ranma found it awfully similar to Kao's battle suit's eyes. The ribs underneath the arms were a bright blue, somehow fitting with the bright red right next to it.  
  
[Host Ranma, apparently Spider-Man thinks you are trying to do something illegal.]  
  
'So... this is Spider-Man?' Ranma thought, studying the figure with a keen eye. His aura was powerful, unrefined, but powerful.  
  
"Hey, nice pig-tail! Did your boyfriend braid it for you?" Peter called out, his habit of taunting the bad guys coming into play once again.  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
However, this IS where I cut it off... for now.  
  
Next chapter: Triple Threat!  
  
Eddie sees Spider-Man duking it out with some other guy, and immediately joins the fight! What is our pig-tailed protagonist to do? Stay tuned whenever the hell I update this story to find out! Don't expect it soon!  
  
Ja! Gundraw ~_^  
  
(Positive feedback can be sent to gundraw@msn.com or sirhcsirron@msn.com) 


	5. Chapter of the fifth

Well, the votes are tallied and guess who won?  
  
That's right, sorry folks, but looks like Tenchi is going to be in the fic.  
  
Ryoko has won by a fair margin, though Nabiki made a huge leap (I counted 8 votes... which put her at 17) and shot above Rogue, but it still wasn't enough to beat out Ryoko. I don't see many Ranma/Ryoko pairings, Ranma/Nabiki pairings are more common, but Ranma/Rogue pairings are rare.  
  
Surprisingly, I got a lot of requests for multiple wives. Now, I could see Ranma attracting multiple women, hell he did in the manga and anime (watch the episode 'Ranma the Lady-killer' [I think that's the name...] in season 5 if you want to see) but somehow, I don't think the women could agree on 'sharing' Ranma. Well, at least not the fiancées. They seemed to hate each other. Ryoko might be different, and open to multiple spouses. I mean, who knows if polygamy is allowed in alien culture?  
  
Anyway, sorry King of Storms fans, but this was nagging at me and I decided to let all the people waiting for an update on my famous cliffhangers a break. I didn't know it was getting popular until someone else actually did it and coined me for it. =/ I am not sure if this is good or bad, all I know is that I get more reviews. *snickers*  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Ranma silently gazed at his smart mouthed, spandex clad opponent. He understood English, despite his grades in school. Heck he knew it before Kao cam along, the 10 year training journey had given him much knowledge of different languages and customs. As such, Ranma had known what was said and wasn't too pleased with the taunt, but swallowed his pride (much effort was needed, but it was done) and addressed the web-slinger.  
  
"Hey, what are ya doin kickin me like that pal!" Ranma shouted out in accented, but passable English.  
  
Peter was somewhat surprised his opponent knew his language; he was expecting the insult to fall upon deaf ears. So knowing, he replied. "Well, I was taking a nice little stroll through Japan, when I saw this bank being robbed. I know that all the hostages were in the corner, and that no one was stupid enough to enter the bank with all the police outside, so that left the only option... you decided to have a little uprising within the ranks. Nice work by the way, I expected you to kill them, not incapacitate them."  
  
Ranma groaned slightly, the comment about his intelligence for walking in here still stinging a little. His tolerance for the free shots Spider-Man was getting was wearing thin. The compliment about his handiwork cooled him off a bit, but he was still not pleased with the confrontation so far. "Look, I walked into here after all the people were held hostage, I didn't know it was being robbed."  
  
Spider-Man raised a brow and glanced behind him at the throng of police and news crews. "That must be one of the lamest excuses I have ever heard, I mean, look at all the cops and reporters! It's like a circus out there!"  
  
Ranma blinked and looked outside; sighing when he saw what he had walked past without even noticing. 'Gee Kao, you think you coulda warned me? Man, this can't get any worse...'  
  
Of course, Ranma forgot that whenever someone says that, Murphy's Law is instantly applied to anything they are doing.  
  
Eddie had been wandering down the streets of Tokyo, keeping a keen eye for any web-slinging or spandex wearing citizens. His spider sense was on keen alert, always searching for the one that caused his life to end up like it had. He doubted he had the money to return to America, now that he was on the streets. But if he got his revenge, none of that would matter.  
  
Only mildly curious as to what the ruckus was up ahead, Eddie glanced into the crowd of people and into the store they were all looking into. The screen held two figures in the center; one was a young man with a strong build and lithe figure that made women blush just thinking of the ways it could bend. The other was a figure clad in some sort of body suit that was mainly red, but held patches of blue, black and white as well.  
  
Eddie immediately recognized the second figure and his lip curled into a nasty snarl as he watched the confrontation take place. His clothes quivered and pulsated as his rage grew until it exploded into a black mass of liquid, flying up into the air, before it all converged on Eddie and surrounded his figure with the amorphous substance.  
  
Those around the televisions had witnessed this odd transformation (odd meaning that it wasn't like the Sailor Scouts) and ran screaming as Venom let out an inhuman roar of anger. Putrid green saliva steamed with heat as it dripped from the countless fangs that dwelled within his mouth. His white eyes were large and erratic, and one never could tell exactly where he was looking. His muscles had at least doubled from their already impressive size and created a figure that hunched slightly. His fingers now all were more like claws, sharp and deadly at the ends. All in all, a sight that appeared to be out of a man's nightmare.  
  
"Parker..." The beast rumbled, his voice deep and throaty, before he raised a hand and let a black blob of his suit shoot off and attach to a building before he began to swing off in the direction his hearing led him.  
  
Ranma caught the fist directed to his abdomen and returned the favor with a punch of his own at dizzying speeds. Peter was caught off guard, and his spider sense failed to sense the assault on his being. Thus, Spider-Man found himself flying across the bank at high speeds before crashing through a pillar, sending chunks of debris across the floor and around his body.  
  
'Jeez!' Peter thought as he rose to his knees and eyed his opponent with a new respect. 'Is he some kind of mutant? He must be, no one can be that strong....' Rising to his feet, Peter crouched down low, maintaining balance with a low center of gravity. His spider powers made this possible for Peter even if he had not received any training in martial arts.  
  
Ranma smiled as he saw his opponent took a lower stance than before. Apparently, he knew enough about fighting that keeping a low center of gravity is very useful. Even so, Ranma could never expect the next attack.  
  
Peter leapt into the air, spinning so his stomach was facing up and clung to the ceiling of the bank before pushing off and flying like a bullet toward Ranma, cocking a fist back and sending a devastating hook across the face of the pig-tailed martial artist.  
  
Ranma was surprised at the tactic taken and was sent flying bodily like Peter had moments before and smashing into a wall before slumping to the ground.  
  
Peter shook his fist in irritation. "Man! What's this guy made of? Felt like punching Logan all over again..." He muttered, nursing his throbbing fist. The clatter of stone met his ears and Peter gazed at the wall, where Ranma was rubbing his jaw and standing up, muttering about something.  
  
"Damnit! This isn't Ryoga Ranma! Your opponent has spider powers like you, remember? God damnit..." Ranma cursed as he rubbed his jaw. Though he had to admit, he was impressed by Spider-Man's attack. Apparently, he had mastered them into a fighting style, which was something that was currently on Ranma's agenda to do. Anything-Goes combined with these powers would create a devastating style, but Ranma would need time to forge the new style. Time he had not had.  
  
"You're pretty good..." Ranma grudgingly admitted, working his jaw to try and relieve the dull sting.  
  
Spider-Man appeared as if he was about to respond but the heavy thump of something landing on nearby ground turned their heads.  
  
The sight that greeted them was in no way settling.  
  
The black mass of muscle snarled in anger as it caught sight of the man that had ruined his life. He had lost everything because of him... His job, his father, his wife...  
  
And now, it was his turn.  
  
Ranma just watched the two stare at each other, Spider-Man apparently in shock, and the other... well, Ranma didn't know what to make of him.  
  
Until Kao spoke up. [Host Ranma? I believe that I can identify the being before you.]  
  
Ranma made no movements, and continued the chat in his mind. 'Really? What is it?'  
  
[This, Host Ranma, would be my parent. I am the spawn of the symbiote in front of you.]  
  
Ranma froze then, his eyes widening slightly as he took that in. 'T-That thing is your parent!?'  
  
[That thing is my parent and its host, and their chosen appearance.]  
  
Ranma was still, unsure of how to act or what to say at that moment. On one hand, it was Kao's parent, and Ranma was grateful that Kao was alive. He was one of the only friends he had. On the other hand, the beast appeared highly hostile, if it's large and hungry appearance were any incentive. As such, poor Ranma was once again taken by surprise.  
  
"Buzz off twerp!" Venom stated as he rushed forward unexpectedly and gave Ranma a devastating punch across the cheek, which sent him through the air and once again slamming into the stone wall, causing various hunks of rock to cascade to the ground around him.  
  
Venom turned to Peter, his lip curling in disgust as he gazed upon the bane of his being.  
  
"Parker..." He rumbled, flexing and clenching his fists at the very sound of the name.  
  
Peter watched with apprehension, Venom was one of his most dangerous foes, and he was wary of fighting such a monster. Luckily, another voice broke in.  
  
"You know..." An accented voice sounded from the dust cloud that had risen from the fallen stone.  
  
Venom turned in question, before receiving a punch just as devastating, if not more, across his face and sending him flying backwards, impacting into the ground and continuing in his path before grinding to a halt some yards later. A large trench was left in his wake, and he appeared to be a little dizzy from the blow.  
  
"I'm getting sick of flying around and hitting walls..." Ranma stated, absently cracking his knuckles as he gazed at the fallen figure.  
  
Spider-Man just simply gaped at the young man that had just got up after receiving one of Venom's punches. He knew well that Venom was stronger than he was, so it was surprising to see a normal bystander get up and return the punch with what looked like relative ease. Though, Spidey was having doubts about how human the boy was. He had to be a mutant, or super- human or something. That blow he received should have tore his head clean off.  
  
'Better get Xavier to do some research on this guy...' Spider-Man thought as he got into a ready position, preparing to defend or attack if need be.  
  
Venom groggily, rose, swaying unsteadily as he tried to clear the cobwebs from his head. And stop the spots that kept appearing. It took several seconds, but he finally regained enough stability to glare at the boy who had attacked him. "What do you think you're doing twerp!?" He all but shouted, hunching over slightly as he prepared another attack.  
  
Ranma gave a small irritating smirk as he continued to stand there, like he didn't notice Venom's subtle movements as he prepared to attack. "Aw, c'mon. Can't take a hit?"  
  
Venom snarled in a primal rage as he dashed forward and released another earth-shattering punch toward Ranma's face, expecting to cave the fool's face in.  
  
Ranma wanted to sigh as another sloppy attack came at him, but instead of dodging he simply reached up and grasped the outstretched fist with his hand, holding it steady. The resounding smack echoed through the broken bank, the force of the punch felt by nearly everyone present. Ranma appeared fine thought, holding the fist in his hand and the other at his side casually.  
  
Venom's eyes widened at the sight of his punch caught by a boy who appeared half his size. How was it possible?  
  
Spidey too watched in awe as the punch was casually caught, and the guy wasn't even breaking a sweat holding it there!  
  
'Definetely calling Xavier... he'd want to know about a mutant this powerful...' He thought as he began formulating a plan to take both of them out without getting too much involved in their little fight.  
  
Ranma's smirk remained as he raised one leg and pivoted on the one still resting upon the ground, before releasing a flurry of kicks into Venom's gut, repeatedly slamming his foot home into Venom's vulnerable stomach with forces that would kill normal men.  
  
Each meaty thump echoed through the bank as he kept kicking the larger man in the gut, not stopping despite the obvious pain his opponent was going through.  
  
'Sorry Kao...' Ranma thought as he kept up his assault, planning on ending the debacle before it escalated further.  
  
Spider-man, who was now crawling on the ceiling above his two opponents, winced at each kick, imagining the pain Venom must be going through. Hey, he may not like the guy, but that didn't mean he couldn't sympathize.  
  
Seeing that the Japanese man showed no sign of slowing, Spider-Man got into position and waited until the foot of the man returned and was about to extend again, before leaping down and giving him a good double footed kick in the back of the head, gravity assisting him as he toppled the man over, his head slamming into the cement with a loud crack, and Venom toppled backwards as well, clutching his stomach which was burning in pain.  
  
Peter sighed in relief that his plan worked, as he stood again, watching for any movements from both Venom and the new guy, and when he saw none, he approached Venom to make sure that he was truly knocked out and ready to be taken to jail.  
  
The police, seeing that the super-powered fighters were through with their fight, entered then and began checking the hostages and Venom, keeping a close eye on Spider-Man.  
  
Peter was about to get out of there, knowing the police would want to know who he was, and glanced back to make sure that both Venom and the other guy where still there. Venom thankfully was, and Peter nodded in confirmation, before checking the other spot and finding the other man missing.  
  
He froze, looking about quickly for any sign of him, and cursed loudly when he realized that one had escaped, right under his nose no less.  
  
Shooting a thick stream of webbing just as an officer was approaching; Peter swung away, intent on getting back to the hotel before Mary Jane got back from her little shopping spree.  
  
As he entered the room via the windowsill, the sight of an angry Mary Jane standing and waiting there told him that he was too little too late. The TV being on also didn't look good. Peter groaned and prepared for an assault of epic proportions. A lecture from his wife.  
  
Ranma thanked the gods for the umisenken as he snuck away from the scene, holding his head which was dribbling blood out at a constant rate, staining his dirty hand red.  
  
[I would suggest medical attention for that gash, Host Ranma. I fear for your health.]  
  
Ranma winced as his head throbbed even more. "Yeah Yeah..." He muttered as he entered his apartment, closing the door with nary a sound before going to the bathroom and wetting a washcloth.  
  
Glancing up at the mirror and wincing as he applied the washcloth, Ranma wondered why these sort of misunderstandings always happen to him.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~The Next Day-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Ranma woke the next morning with only a minor headache, and after glancing in the mirror on his way out, the wound he had received perfectly healed, not a sign of the cut anywhere. Ranma narrowed his eyes and looked hard for any evidence, but none could be found.  
  
"Hey... Kao?" Ranma spoke, knowing they were alone.  
  
[Yes, Host Ranma?]  
  
"Did you... augment my healing skills at all?"  
  
[... No Host Ranma, I am unable to do such until I receive a template for a healing gene that surpasses yours. You healing rate is currently several times more than that of a standard human. Is there more you wish to know?]  
  
Ranma frowned and shook his head in response, as if Kao could see him. He glanced at his hands, and noticed them trembling slightly. 'What am I becoming...?' He thought, looking at his rough hands. Hands that had taken chestnuts from a fire without being burned. Hands that had created tornadoes. Hands that had shot ki blasts. Hands that had created vacuum blades. Hands that had killed a demi-god.  
  
Ranma walked down the street in silence, watching his feet carry him to his next stop in life. He had thought a lot this morning, and his growth was starting to disturb him. Should any human have this much power? Was he human?  
  
Answers failed to come. Ranma didn't know if answers would ever come. He wasn't sure if he truly wanted them to come either. It made him uneasy, the feats he could pull of, the power he held. It was growing surreal, as if it was all a dream, and these were things he could only do in his dreams. But here he was, sure of his existence with enough power to wipe out the existence of so many with little effort.  
  
He slowed to a stop as he looked up at the name of the establishment, and quickly seeing the 'help wanted' sign still resting in the window. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself, before walking in, preparing himself for his next task in life. Getting a job.  
  
"Do you have any bartending experience?" The man with a cigarette asked, giving Ranma a critical eye.  
  
Ranma nodded. "A little..." This was true. On the road with his father had taught him a lot about alcohol. Mostly sake, but his father had the occasional mixed drink, and guess who was expected to make it for him?  
  
The man nodded, before scribbling something down on a pad of paper he was holding. "Okay... and how is your hand-eye coordination?"  
  
Ranma smiled and chuckled. He wanted to say 'better than you could imagine,' but that wouldn't be very polite, so he said "It is very good sir."  
  
The man raised an eyebrow before handing Ranma a bottle of liquor from behind the counter. "Oh yea? Show me what you can do. Flip it around or something, I don't care."  
  
Ranma glanced at the bottle, then at the man, as if asking if he really wanted him to do this. The man kept watching him expectantly, so Ranma shrugged, grabbed the bottle and stood. 'Just flip it around eh?' He thought as he devised a little routine that was similar to handling a pair of nunchaku.  
  
The man with the cigarette just watched as Ranma went about flipping twirling and catching the bottle around his body, never missing a beat nor letting a drop fall from the bottle. He finished when he tossed the bottle in the air and caught it with one finger, balancing it perfectly.  
  
"That good enough?" Ranma meekly asked, not exactly sure what the man was looking for.  
  
The cigarette fell from the man's mouth.  
  
Ranma walked outside, bathed in sunlight once more. He winced and squinted, the sudden change of light causing his eyes to sting a little before he grew used to the light. He headed back to the apartment, a book under his arm. Ranma smiled as he gazed at the book that the man gave to him after hiring him. It was a book of various mixed drinks that Ranma had to memorize for the job, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem with Kao.  
  
Arriving at the apartment, Ranma took a seat on his futon and opened the book, gazing at each page for a second before turning to the next. Ranma himself was not memorizing the drinks, but instead Kao was taking a picture, if you will, of each page, so whatever a customer asked for, Ranma would have the recipe right in his head, whenever he needed it. 'Heh...' Ranma thought smugly, the idea being his, 'It's the perfect plan.'  
  
After flipping through the book, Ranma yawned and lay back, preparing to catch up on some much needed sleep.  
  
"Wake me before it's time to go to work..." Ranma stated, knowing that he started his first shift later that evening.  
  
Kao did not sound to amused with Ranma, but responded nonetheless. [Yes, Host Ranma...]  
  
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~  
  
[Host Ranma! Wake up! You first shift begins in one half of an hour!]  
  
The last part was what really woke Ranma up. "Wh-what!? A half-hour! Oh man!" Cursing like a sailor, Ranma stood and rushed into the bathroom, dragging a comb through his unkempt hair and ensuring that the pigtail was in place.  
  
'Kao! Can you make these clothes?' Ranma thought as he brushed his teeth, thick suds spilling down his face and chin.  
  
Kao wanted to snort, the outfit was child's play to one of his skills, but he reminded himself that while his host may not be the brightest, he was pure of heart and soul. Quickly changing from the standard red shirt, he shifted into a similar Chinese-styled shirt, though this one was white and sleeveless.  
  
'Thanks Kao!' Ranma thought as he finally made it out the door and rushed down the stairs to the bottom floor to make it to work on time.  
  
~_~_~_~_~ 31 minutes later...~_~_~_~_~  
  
Ranma burst into the door of the bar, only mildly out of breath. "I-I'm here!" He called out, hoping to attract the attention of the owner.  
  
The man with the cigarette appeared and smiled. "Ah! You're that new kid... Ram... Ra..."  
  
"Ranma..." Ranma reminded him, finding himself thinking if his employer was doing drugs.  
  
"Right! Ranma... odd name ya know? Hard to forget... Anyway, I'm Takeshi. You'll work behind the bar tonight. Shouldn't be too big of a crowd, it being the middle of the week and all. No one wants a hangover on a workday... You memorize those drinks?"  
  
Ranma smirked. "Heh, no problem. I'll get right on it!" So saying, he leapt behind the counter, which was quite impressive, seeing as the bar was some feet away from Ranma where he had stood.  
  
"Man kid, you ever gonna stop surprising me?" Takeshi chuckled, taking a long drag of his cigarette and puffing the smoke out into the room and causing Ranma to cough several seconds later.  
  
Ranma looked about, seeing few people already enjoying their drinks, so he took a look around the bar. The place was a wreck, that much was obvious. Crusty bits of who knows what left on the counter, what looked like 100 year old liquors stocked behind the bar, moldy lemons and limes ready to be juiced weeks ago.  
  
Ranma winced, realizing that this wasn't going to be the walk in the park he thought it would be. Sighing and hanging his head, Ranma began to clean the area up and try to get it into some kind of working order.  
  
The night had gone smoothly so far, and Ranma had made good progress cleaning the bar. He had the counter top shining and showing the grain of the wood again, fresh lemons and limes ready to be served or juiced as needed. Old liquors replaced by not so new ones, but passable ones.  
  
Currently, he was wiping a glass clean of leftover grime from whatever previous customer had left in it. Several were already finished and now clear and shining once more.  
  
That was when she walked in.  
  
He normally wouldn't have noticed her, and just labeled her as another customer, but there was something about her that caught his attention...  
  
He didn't know if it was her spiky cyan hair, or odd shaped ears. Or perhaps it was the twin tracks of tears that ran down her cheeks, and her puffy red eyes that indicated a significant amount of crying.  
  
Ranma winced as she collapsed into a seat and hung her head miserably.  
  
Still wiping the glass clean, Ranma approached her and spoke softly. "What can I get for ya?"  
  
She glanced up at him briefly, giving him a withering look before speaking in a manner that just did not seem like her. "Sake."  
  
Ranma nodded and set the glass down before walking off and getting a small bottle of sake and a dish for her to drink out of. Returning several moments later, he set them both down and watched as she popped open the bottle and drank straight out of it. She began to reach to her wallet to pay for the drink but Ranma interrupted her.  
  
"Forget it, it's on me." He stated as he watched her closely, trying to discern what had been the cause of the pain that was so evident in her eyes.  
  
She raised a brow, before her eyes narrowed.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Ranma." He replied, giving her a warm smile in hopes to cheer her up.  
  
Any hope was extinguished when she reached across the bar and put her hand around his neck. "You hitting on me, Ranma" She asked in a falsely happy tone, her eyes glinting dangerously.  
  
"Er... no." Ranma stammered, scared of the wrath of women that had been invoked many times on his account. "I just don't like seeing women sad... I wanted to cheer you up."  
  
She narrowed her eyes in warning before shoving Ranma away and returning to her drink.  
  
Rubbing his neck, Ranma stood his ground, but decided not to give her anything else. "So, what's your name? Can I get that at least?"  
  
The woman gave him a disparaging glance before sighing, as if resigning to some fate. "Ryoko." She muttered, before taking another long swig of sake.  
  
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~  
  
Okay, this should tide you people over while I try and get another chapter of King of Storms out. I would have had this out sooner, if not for the fact that I rewrote the entire second half of this story. More like the last two-thirds actually...  
  
Anyway, Ryoko has won, and the topic of Multiple wives and Jurian ancestry is still up in the air. I have almost decided whether or not to make him Jurian, but I still want to know what you all think.  
  
Read and Review please! Flamers piss off!  
  
Ja! Gundraw. 


	6. Chapter of the sixth

Disclaimer: If I owned any of this (except the writing) I would need no disclaimer, figure it out.  
  
"Speech"  
  
'Thoughts'  
  
[Symbiotes]  
  
/Telepathy\  
  
Well, not many people seemed to be upset about the Ryoko pairing, at least they didn't comment about it if they were. I also got overwhelmed by the amount people that wanted a multiple wife set up, I guess Ranma isn't Ranma without a harem chasing after him and/or with him... Of course, I was planning on including a group of women after him anyway, but that's not important.  
  
The people that did respond yes to the multiple match up said a Ranma/Ryoko/Nabiki or Ranma/Ryoko/Rogue pairing... Not bad at all Ranma my friend, very good choices indeed.  
  
Without further ado, the continuation of my story.  
  
======================================  
  
"So... What happened?" Ranma asked casually, truly interested into why this yellow-eyed beauty could be so upset  
  
Ryoko, or so she told him, glanced up at him with dull and unfocused eyes as she gazed upon the admittedly cute bartender. It was obvious by looking at her that she had had more than her share of liquor and was getting a bit tipsy. "Look pal..." She began, causing Ranma to wince at the stench that came from her mouth. "I don't wanna go home with ya or get to know ya, okay?" Ryoko slurred, expecting Ranma to appear distraught or upset.  
  
Ranma chuckled, sighing and rolling his eyes. "Look, Ryoko was it? The last thing I wanna do is get you to come to my place. Or even try starting a relationship for that matter." Ranma said, still scrubbing out the putrid remnants from various patrons. "I have a fiancée if you must know..." 'Several actually...' Ranma added internally, sighing at the mess his life currently was and how much work it needed to become close to normal. "So, if I tried to do anything with you, it would be bad for me."  
  
Ryoko eyed the bartender cautiously, before shrugging and going back to downing large gulps of Sake.  
  
"Lose a relative?" Ranma tossed out, only to be shot down when Ryoko didn't react and continued drinking. "Lose your job?" Another swing and a miss as Ryoko burped rather loudly and made Ranma turn his head until the smell passed. "Boy trouble?" This time, Ryoko visibly winced and Ranma picked up on the subtle movement, smiling sadly. "Who was he?"  
  
Ryoko rolled her eyes at the prying bartender, but sighed and started her tale in a sad and regretful tone. "Well, it all started about a week ago... You see, there is this boy I like, Tenchi..."  
  
===Start Flashback... NOW===  
  
Ryoko smirked in a very feline manner as she crept toward Tenchi's door, planning on surprising the love of her life with what she hoped would be a pleasant wake up for him. She could have hovered to his door and caused no noise, but there was no challenge in that and thus she decided to tip-toe as quietly as possible to Tenchi's door.  
  
The closer she grew to his door however, the louder an odd sound began. At first Ryoko suspected her feet to be making the slight squeaking, but when the sounded continued in a different rhythm than her footsteps  
  
A thought entered her head as she realized that it was coming from Tenchi's room. It sounded an awful lot like a rhythmic squeaking of two people having sex on an old bed. She quickly discarded that thought as rubbish, but it stayed with her and the fear of it being possible. But her Tenchi wouldn't do something like that would he? I mean, her advances had not received any luck, so why should anybody else's? Her fear was growing steadily, and she swore she heard moans and soft squeals sound, accompanying that rhythmic groaning of a spring or wooden frame. Swallowing the lump she didn't realize she had in her throat, a shaky hand rose to grasp his doorknob. She hesitated before actually touching it, before firmly clamping her hand around the knob, and twisting ever so gently before opening the door with such subtle movements that it would not be noticed by the room's inhabitants. Opening the door so only a sliver of the interior showed, Ryoko peaked in and was startled as she saw...  
  
Aeka. Of all people it could have been, Ryoko's rival was there, nude and bouncing atop an equally nude Tenchi, both with euphoric expressions on their faces. A tear slowly emerged from her eye, and crawled down her cheek, tickling the tender flesh beneath it before finally allowing gravity a better hold over it as it plummeted from her chin and to the floor.  
  
She silently closed the door, not disturbing the fornicating couple as she walked away. In the despair that resided in her mind, a soft glow of hope remained. She knew that, as a Jurian prince, Tenchi was allowed multiple wives. So she decided to wait, hoping Tenchi would soon come to her and ask for her to join him in the horizontal tango.  
  
For a week she waited, all too often seeing the pleasant glow on Aeka's face that made her want to vomit in disgust and pain, before she finally gave up, realizing that Tenchi apparently had no intention of bedding her and asking for her hand in marriage.  
  
===End Flashback... A little bit ago===  
  
"... So I came out to Tokyo to get a job and a place, so I could move out of his house... Sound pathetic huh?" Ryoko humorlessly chuckled before slugging down another bottle of her favorite alcoholic beverage.  
  
"You? Nah... To me it sounds like this guy is a prick." Ranma said, nodding sagely at his own words and trying to appear wise.  
  
"What!?" Ryoko nearly leapt out of her seat and cut the head of the guy who dare call her Tenchi a prick. But then... he wasn't her Tenchi now was he?  
  
Ranma noticed that she apparently was offended by Ranma's crude evaluation of her lost love. "I don't mean to make ya angry or nothin', it's just it sounds like the guy is a real jerk! Not even telling you the time he first well... did another girl. Sounds to me like he was just playing with your feelings or a jerk!"  
  
Ryoko sighed, obviously upset because from Ranma had said, it seemed true. Was Tenchi really just playing her for a fool? Did he ever care about her? She began to get a headache, partially from the amount of thinking she had been doing, and partially because of all the alcohol consumed.  
  
Ranma looked at Ryoko empathetically before glancing at the clock and cursing the time. "Look Ryoko, I feel really bad about that boy and all, but don't worry, there are plenty of better guys out there!"  
  
Ryoko gave Ranma a withering glance before downing one last gulp of Sake. "Yeah right. Where would I find these better guys?"  
  
Shrugging, Ranma was unable to answer because he usually wasn't very popular with the guys unless he was a girl. "I dunno. Probably closer than you think." Ranma stated, not knowing how true he was before smiling at Ryoko. "Just give it some time, you'll feel better. That jerk will be begging for a cute girl like you to come back. I am going to have to ask you to go though, we are closing up."  
  
Ryoko took a gander around and noticed that the place was deserted. Looking at the clock, she groaned at the time it displayed before rising unsteadily to her feet. She thanked Ranma for the pep talk before sulking out the door and swaggering on the sidewalk.  
  
"Poor girl..." Ranma sighed, summoning Kao to form a black trench coat around him before putting up the closed sign and shutting down the lights, heading out the back door because the front was locked and out into the alley. He glanced around the dark alley, numerous shadows concealing the unknown around him, before he took a deep breath and began to walk towards the street.  
  
Until of course, something blunt was shoved into his back and several men approached him from the side, nasty smirks on their hideous faces as the smiled the pig-tailed symbiote owner.  
  
"Hey, we don't want this to get messy, just give us your money." The one behind him spoke with what Ranma assumed was a gun pointed in his back.  
  
'Why do these things always happen to me?' Ranma internally groaned, wondering if the goddess of luck hated him or something.  
  
[Explanation unavailable Host Ranma.] Kao stated, causing Ranma to shake his head and Kao's attempts to rationalize everything with logic.  
  
An idea struck Ranma as Kao replied, and an evil grin slowly grew on his face as he thought: 'Hey, Kao... wanna teach these losers a lesson?'  
  
Kao sounded most pleased at the chance to actually be used in a practical application and replied; [Why, I would most enjoy you using me to my full capabilities Host Ranma, but I doubt such beings around us will prove a challenge.]  
  
'Agreed.' Ranma thought as he started changing the clothes into the combat suit, starting at the feet. "You guys really chose the wrong person to mess with..." Ranma chuckled as his pants started changning to a chaotic black and red pattern, tendrils of the amorphous goo that formed his pants whipping about wildly and freely as the prepared for combat.  
  
"Why is that tough... guy..." The man was cut short when he saw Ranma's shirt and trench coat change colors and apparently substance, the liquid wrapping around his chiseled abs and arms, the fingers extending to a claw like shape.  
  
The men watched as Ranma's head was engulfed in the liquid before two pure white eyes formed, the edges frayed and erratic, like a burnt and torn cloth.  
  
"L-Let's get outta here!" One of the punks shouted, and the trio fled down the alley, thinking that they could escape.  
  
Ranma only shook his head with a smile on his face as he turned and raised his arms, willing them to extend forward. He watched in partial awe as the symbiote replicated itself at an extreme rate and became to wild tentacles. The tentacles each had smaller tendrils extending and whipping about in front of them as they rushed through the air, before slamming into the back legs of all three of the thieves, causing them to collapse forward and smash their delicate faces into the pavement, before the oozing tentacles wrapped themselves around the legs of the trio, binding them together. Ranma grinned as he gave a tug at the new rope, which held the legs of the the men and caused them to be pulled backwards through the air. The men screamed in horror as they flew through the air and passed Ranma, before Ranma pulled again, this time in a circle, and caused the small gang to be crushed into the ground, knocking all three out, but causing no permanent damage.  
  
"Idiots..." Ranma mumbled as he willed Kao to form back into the clothes he had started in and made his way back to the street. He froze when he spotted a figure at the end of the alley, that darted off before he could react. Rushing out into the street, Ranma glanced about in search of the person, but swore loudly when he could not find hide nor hair of the person.  
  
===several minutes earlier===  
  
Ryoko stumbled out of the bar, obviously intoxicated as she swayed uneasily down the sidewalk with glazed over eyes. She swaggered over to a corner for balance and rubbed her throbbing head, groaning at the pain that felt like someone beating her head like a drum.  
  
She stopped voicing her displeasure when a door in the alley opened, and out walked the bartender that had talked to her only minutes earlier. She watched, only vaguely interested in the man and still nursing her head, when she saw the men approach him. She was going to shout to warn him, but they were already upon him. She watched as they seem to say something to him, and his face screwed and showed different emotions. First displeasure, then disbelief... then... something funny? He appeared to be laughing, and that's when she noticed it. She immediately sobered up when she witnessed his shoes and pants turn into this ooze that seemed to cover his body. He said something, which caused one of the muggers to sneer, before he too noticed the black and red swirled goo covering the bartender's body. Ryoko watched as his shirt seemed to shred and become goo as well, giving her a good look at his muscular torso before it too was engulfed and vanished beneath the sea of black and red. She was quite worried when the stuff completely surrounded his head, but when the white eyes and the jagged mouth appeared, her fears switched from the safety of the bartender, to the creature he became. The stuff from nightmares, that was what this was. The men ran in horror, as well they should as the bartender creature turned and moved his arms forward, as if pushing something forward. His arms turning into long streams of the liquid that captured the men around the legs was frightening, and she winced when the thing pulled them and sent them flying, before slamming them into the ground. The impact alone caused Ryoko to flinch, and she was about to enter the alley when she saw that the ooze turned back into clothing and the man turned. He panicked upon seeing her, and Ryoko fled into the street, before teleporting to a building several blocks away.  
  
Never in all her experience as a space pirate had she witnessed something so frightening as the creature she had witnessed. Immediately, she decided that informing Washu would be a good idea.  
  
/Mother?\ Ryoko hesitantly sent over the link, knowing that she was essentially giving her position away to the Masaki household.  
  
/Ah, Ryoko! There you are! I was wondering where you went, Sasami was worried sick!\ the light sound of a young voice filtered back from the other end of the link.  
  
/That's not important right now, mom...\ Ryoko thought, watching the man that had transformed into the beast intently. /Are you aware of any other non human activity on Earth?\ Ryoko asked, making sure that this was a new discovery.  
  
/What is with the sudden interest? Earth is a Jurian Colony; off limits to all other species... there should be no one else here... Why do you ask? \ Washu replied, her voice hesitant for some reason.  
  
Ryoko let out a deep breath, the situation had just grown much worse. /See for yourself...\ She stated as she sent the memories of the bartender named Ranma transforming into that creature over the link.  
  
Silence reigned in her head for several minutes, which made Ryoko all the more nervous. If Washu could not identify it, then they had a small crisis on their hands. She was about ready to jump off of the roof and hunt down the boy herself when Washu's voice came back over.  
  
/This isn't good...\ Washu stated the obvious, confirming Ryoko's fears. /Never before have I seen such a transformation... or such abilities. It appears similar to the MASU even, but that is impossible... I need you to track this man.\ Washu stated sincerely. Before Ryoko could object she continued. /We don't know what he's capable of, or what he's doing here even. Watch him closely; I get the feeling that there is more to this man than meets the eye.\  
  
Ryoko groaned at the prospect of shadowing the man, but floated down and after Ranma where she had seen him walk off to.  
  
Back in her lab, a greatly disturbed Washu watched the scene play out again and again on her floating screen, her brow furrowed in frustration. 'What have we gotten ourselves into now...?' She grimly thought, not very pleased about this recent development at all.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma entered his apartment with very little joy in his being. He was sure that he was going to be all over the news tomorrow, or some such thing. A glimmer of hope resided in the idea that perhaps the person was drunk and unable to see clearly, or thought it was all a dream.  
  
His clothes shifted and blurred into a tank top and boxers as Ranma collapsed on his futon and prepared to get what he hoped was not his last good night's sleep.  
  
==============  
  
Peter rubbed his forehead after receiving a vicious verbal lashing from his wife. Apparently, she was none too pleased at his antics earlier that day, and now Peter was stuck sleeping on the lumpy couch for the night.  
  
Shaking his head and laying back, Peter held the phone up to his ear as it rang.  
  
"Hello?" An aged and wise sounding voice asked from the other end as Peter spoke.  
  
"Professor Xavier? It's me Peter..."  
  
"Ah, Peter, how are you these days?" The kind man asked, making Peter smile sheepishly.  
  
"Not too good, sleeping on the couch tonight. Look, I just wanted to call you because I think there is a mutant in Japan you may be interested in..."  
  
"Oh?" Professor Xavier asked, genuinely intrigued. "Do tell."  
  
And so Peter relayed the story of the young man in the bank and the strength and speed he had. Professor Xavier was silent until Peter finished, when he thought for a few seconds before coming to a decision.  
  
"If what you say is true Peter, than we have an issue on our hands. The power of this mutant would surely attract the likes of Magneto to recruit him. I'll send some people over tomorrow in the Black Bird, can you hang on till then?"  
  
Peter let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Yea, just be careful."  
  
Xavier smiled and nodded, though Peter couldn't see it. "Will do Peter, good luck with your wife" Xavier stated as he hung up the phone and brooded this new development. Cerebro should have detected such a powerful mutant... perhaps he had some sort of ability dampener? The possibilities were nearly endless, and Xavier knew this. "May as well get the group together..." Xavier muttered to himself as he went to fetch several of the X-men for their latest mission.  
  
Ranma had no idea, but the he had just opened the biggest can of worms Earth had yet to see, and a multitude of powerful beings were converging on one place. Japan.  
  
===========  
  
Early the next morning, Ranma woke up to go explore the nearby region and head to a park he had remembered passing to practice when it was secluded.  
  
Yawning quite loudly and popping several stiff joints, Ranma had a forlorn look on his face as he opened the door of his apartment, snatched up the paper that had been delivered and took it inside to look over the contents.  
  
Much to his surprise (and joy) Ranma found no signs of 'Pig-Tailed Bartender turns into monster!' anywhere in the paper. He looked over it several times, ensuring that there was no sign of his little slip the previous night.  
  
"Phew... Man, I have a to be more careful, that was really scary..." Ranma muttered as his tank top and yellow and blue boxers quivered before shifting and becoming the standard red shirt and black pants he wore.  
  
Ranma paused and was about to think about the clothing shifting, but noticed that it already had. He paused, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at his clothes. 'I can't be adapting to Kao this quickly... can I?' he thought before shaking his head and exiting the apartment, jogging downstairs to the bottom floor and off to the park.  
  
Of course from so low, he never noticed the figure hovering over the rooftops, following him very closely. But always remaining out of sight or in the sun so they remained undetected.  
  
Ranma arrived in the park several minutes later, taking a deep breath with closed eyes and enjoying the fresh scent of the tree's and grass. Birds chirped and squawked happily, breaking up the moments of silence that was dominant otherwise.  
  
Walking over to an area sheltered by several trees, just in case anyone else decided to take a stroll through the area. He stretched his only mildly stiff muscles, contorting into various poses to stretch them out and make them loose again.  
  
"Hey." Ranma heard from behind him, in a definitely female voice. His eyes widened as he turned about face to face the person that had spoken, praying to the gods it wasn't a fiancée.  
  
But instead he found the woman he had served last night, Ryoko. Her cyan hair was as spiky and unruly as he remembered, and her eyes just as yellow. He noticed now in the better light that her ears were... odd. Not wrong really, just oddly shaped. Her eyes seemed really thin as well...  
  
"Oh, hi!" Ranma said happily, giving a small wave and a happy grin.  
  
"Cut the crap." Ryoko blurted, startling Ranma out of his greeting. "You know Earth is a Jurai colony don't you? What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Ranma blinked once, then again for good measure. "Huh?" He intelligently replied, cocking his head and giving the impression of a clueless person, which he was in this case.  
  
[Perhaps I can be of assistance.] Kao stated, [Jurians are from the planet Jurai, and have a large intergalactic empire. Known for their diplomacy and power, they are the owners of the largest empire in this and many other galaxies. Special tree's that grow on their planet supply their royalty with longevity and extreme amounts of power, power that is feared by many races across the universe.]  
  
Ranma's mouth opened and closed several times as he stared at Ryoko, before he cleared his throat. "A-Aliens? Here?"  
  
Ryoko raised a brow and took a step back from the person in front of her. At first he seemed to have no clue as to what a Jurian was, but now he appeared to know what they were. "Yea, aliens. Just like you. I saw you last night." Ryoko stated, her eyes accusing and glinting dangerously.  
  
Ranma appeared confused before his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh! I get it!" Ranma shouted, running a hand through his own unkempt hair. "You were the one that saw me last night. Look, I know it may be a bit much to ask, but could you kinda, you know, keep quiet about that? Wouldn't do for my little secret to get out. Well, our little secret now."  
  
Ryoko blinked. Didn't the man understand that she was threatening him? "Er, right... What are you doing here? Where are you from?"  
  
Ranma shrugged, his arms coming to a rest behind his head. "I am just here to practice martial arts. Oh, and I come from Nerima, the weird district in Tokyo."  
  
Ryoko just stared at the man in front of her, growing quite frustrated at the lack of progress this conversation was making. Darting forward before he could speak any further, she grabbed Ranma in a bear hug and opened the mental link. /Now!\  
  
/HAAAI!\ Washu's cute voice came from the other end, along with several beeps and boops, before a column of white energy surrounded Ranma and Ryoko, and when it lowered they were both gone.  
  
Now normally, Ranma's reflexes would have easily allowed him to dodge such a straightforward assault. But of course, when the one doing the assaulting is female and quite gorgeous to boot, Ranma just has a tiny bit of trouble moving.  
  
When the bright light faded, he watched Ryoko step through solid glass and watch him with a superior smirk. Ranma's brow furrowed as he looked about, seeing himself in some sort of odd glass box. Shrugging, he approached the wall and let a punch out, hitting it with all his might, just in case it was thicker than it looked. A sharp crack resounded in the box and a spider-web appeared where his fist had hit. He reared back for another punch, but before he could a yellowish gas was released into the chamber and Ranma's vision blurred and his limbs grew heavy before he finally collapsed, unconscious.  
  
Washu approached the area that Ranma had punched with a look of sheer awe on her face. "T-this is amazing... This glass is strong enough to withstand forces that you couldn't put out Ryoko..." She said, fingering the cracks with a look of concern and more than a little excitement in her eye.  
  
Ryoko walked up next to her 'mother,' eyeing the crack as well. "So... he's stronger than me?" She asked.  
  
Washu only nodded cryptically, before grinning with images of guinea pigs floating around in her mind.  
  
========================  
  
Well, that's that. I am so on a roll, three updates in like, two weeks? Come on, who's the man? Yeah, that's right. I am.  
  
Got a website started, started being the keyword here, the link's here:   
  
Anyone live in the Seattle area and going to Sakura Con? Gimme and e-mail, I plan on dropping in and hanging out. Tell me where you want to meet and when and we could hang out for a bit. I may surprise you a bit, most people think I am older than I am. My e-mail is gundraw@msn.com or sirhcsirron@hotmail.com.  
  
Well, King of Storms is next, so that's what's coming. Should be getting fanart Thursday from one Slade3, so I am greatly looking forward to that. May not be important to you people, but for me it's big! First fanart man! When you have fanart, you know your getting popular. Anyway, I gotta sleep, lest I sleep in till noon tomorrow...  
  
Ja! -Gundraw 


	7. Chapter of the seventh

Chapter 7: Free at last! Free at- What's this? Do not pass go.... Do not.... WHAT THE!?  
  
Disclaimer: I posted it already, go back and read it you lazy bums. (Of course, by not writing it I am being a total hypocrite.)  
  
"Speech"  
  
[Symbiote]  
  
Telepathy/Mind Link  
  
Well, this chapter isn't action packed... the big fight you all are going to want to see is next chapter. That's right. I am talking Wolverine on Ranma. Who will win? Who do you think would win? (Note: Your opinion makes no difference, I already chose) It would be cool to see if people agree with me though.  
  
I was surfin' ff.net the other day, and came across a fic... Nothing special, but it was the reviews that got me. Someone listed me as one of the better authors to check out. That was like, a turning point for me! It's what got most of this chapter done at least... See the power of positive reinforcement? Keep sending in those sweet, sweet reviews! The precious desires them!  
  
On another note, the final matching vote/poll thing ends NEXT CHAPTER! If you want a Ranma/Ryoko/Rogue or a Ranma/Ryoko/Nabiki you better enter your votes, because I believe they are close... (is too lazy to count them right now oo) And if you people want a Ranma/Ryoko/Someone else pairing... You better damn well start voting your asses off.  
  
Finally, I have it in mind to start another fic, this one being a Ranma/GD crossover... Not sure if I am, but I would like to know if you guys think I should or not. I already got a sort of "preview" chapter 1 done, but I am not going to further work on it if no one will read it. Anyway, no one reads these anyway, so here is the fic.  
  
----------------  
  
Groaning a bit, Ranma tried to move but found that he was being held by something and was unable to move. Wincing a bit at the pounding headache he had, he pulled against his bonds, but still was unable to get himself free. He was about to get Kao to do something, when echoing footsteps met his ears, and he immediately feigned unconsciousness.  
  
Washu entered with Yosho at her tail, her head shaking in frustration. "I don't get it Yosho-dono... all my readouts list him as human, but that is impossible, you saw the recording I got from Ryoko."  
  
Yosho remained silent and observed the sleeping boy with a keen eye. Even to Yosho, he looked human, which meant he very well could be. He didn't seem to have any powerful energies inside him, it looked like Ryoko had kidnapped an everyday human. But... there was something off about the boy. Yosho didn't know what, but he knew something was drastically wrong with the situation.  
  
Washu took an appreciative glance over the boy's body, silently comparing him to Tenchi. He had the same boyish look about him, but with more muscle, making him the roguishly handsome type. "The only thing that was odd about him was his muscle density... it was through the roof!"  
  
Yosho raised a brow and looked at Washu. "Oh? How high are we talking here?"  
  
Washu shook her head and frowned. "Enough to be worried about... I estimate that his punch can at least put out 30 tons of force."  
  
Yosho blanched and looked at Washu incredulously, his eyes asking her if she was serious. Seeing her nod, Yosho took another look at the boy and frowned. Something was definitely wrong.  
  
"Dinner is ready." Washu suddenly stated, turning to head for the door to her lab.  
  
Figuring Ryoko had informed her over the link, Yosho took one lasting look at the boy before going to eat some of Sasami's delicious cooking.  
  
The second they were out of site, Ranma opened one eye and watched them leave, sighing and letting his aura back out. His father, the sneaky bastard he was, had taught Ranma how to fool anyone into think that they were unconscious, at least as long as they didn't do any further examination than with the naked eye.  
  
Letting out the breath he was holding, Ranma spoke to Kao. 'Hey, you think you can cut through these... arms... tentacles... things holding me Kao?'  
  
Kao examined the tentacles, and after classifying the force needed and how sharp he needed to make himself, a small worm of itself seeped through Ranma's skin and molded into a knife that's edge was only several molecules thick, before whipping about Ranma's body and cleanly severing the arms holding.  
  
Ranma smirked and rubbed his wrist. "Thanks Kao, can you form my usual outfit?"  
  
More of Kao seeped out and shifted like clay being molded without a hand, changing and shifting colors before becoming Ranma's standard set.  
  
Ranma quickly inspected the clothing, smiling at Kao's handiwork before heading in the direction that he saw that old man and girl walk off to.  
  
=============================  
  
Washu and Katsuhito both entered the kitchen, discussing the origins of the young man currently cooped up in Washu's lab.  
  
"Any idea what species he might be?" Katsuhito asked, sitting at the head of table.  
  
Washu frowned and shook her head. "No... All I have to go on is Ryoko's memory, and that is not nearly enough information to classify which species he is. It appears similar to the MASU, with the ability to form itself into any shape or form..."  
  
Ryoko floated down from her rafter, a rather forlorn look on her face as she sat next to her mother and looked down at her lap.  
  
Washu gazed sympathetically at her daughter, having witnessed what Tenchi had done over the link. While she didn't approve of Tenchi's actions, she couldn't really blame him for Ryoko's depression. Ryoko had come on too strong, and Tenchi wasn't receptive. She should have taught Ryoko a bit more about picking up men. Washu looked over the link and into Ryoko's mind, seeing what was on her mind. As expected, Tenchi was the primary focus, but there was something that Washu didn't expect in there. The boy, Ranma Ryoko called him, was there. A tiny bit of sorrow for betraying him after he had shown her nothing but kindness.  
  
'Sorry dear...' Washu thought, patiently waiting for the food, 'But he may be dangerous... we need to know what he is!'  
  
Tenchi walked downstairs, attracted by the delicious scents of Sasami's cooking, Aeka following minutes afterward and sitting down next to Tenchi.  
  
Sasami exited the kitchen with several bowls and plates in her hands and Ryo-Ohki sitting on top of her head. She smiled happily and prepared to place the dishes on the table when the door to Washu's lab opened, and a pig-tailed boy wearing a red Chinese shirt and black drawstring pants exited, gasping for air.  
  
"Man, glad that's over..." Ranma muttered, puffing. "Felt like I had got Ryoga's sense of direction or something! Plus there were all those creatures..." Ranma shuddered and took a gander about him, almost instantly noticing the group of people sitting at the table.  
  
"Oh shit..." he muttered, turning about face and dashing forward to the window, preparing to jump through. Before he actually jumped though, Ryoko teleported in front of him and glared.  
  
"How did you get out of Washu's lab?"  
  
Ranma, not being able to stop on a dime when running, collided into Ryoko and sent both flying out the window and down the short drop. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around Ryoko and he spun about, cushioning the landing and falling on the bed of broken glass below. He winced as the glass poked into his back, only held back by his symbiote.  
  
Ryoko nearly screamed in rage when the guy ran into her, and only grew more furious when he wrapped his arms around her. But then she noticed that he was not coping a feel, he was trying to protect her from the small fall. When they impacted, Ryoko felt nearly nothing, Ranma's body taking the brunt of the fall. She also noticed how well chiseled his front was as he held her close.  
  
Ranma became acutely aware of the woman on his chest and eeped, appearing five feet away standing, and leaving Ryoko on the ground.  
  
Ryoko's eyes crossed at the speed Ranma moved at, knowing it wasn't a teleport because no energy had been emitted.  
  
The rest of the gang came outside from the door now, Katsuhito with his bokken ready, Mihoshi with her pistol drawn, and Tenchi with the Tenchi- ken.  
  
"Ano..." Ranma stammered, seeing all the people with weapons was giving him a serious sense of déjà vu he'd like to forget. Deciding on the best course of action, Ranma turned and fled, darting into the forest before anyone could attack.  
  
For moments on end, the residents of the Masaki household looked at the dust devil that was picked up, before glancing around at each other and giving chase, albeit at a much slower pace than Ranma.  
  
With years of experience with the Saotome Secret Technique, and fleeing angry women, Ranma was easily the superior. Even if they could catch up to him, his evasion techniques and skill in martial arts would easily allow him to escape.  
  
"He's long gone..." Tenchi wheezed, clearly out of breath as he rested his hands on his knees and gasped for the sweet air.  
  
Katsuhito, who appeared winded but better still better than Tenchi nodded, looking to the direction their evasive captive had run off to. He knew that that boy had some sort of secret, whether it was something he did or something he had, he couldn't tell. Shaking his head, Katsuhito turned and began to walk back to the shrine.  
  
Ryoko stayed silent. She knew where Ranma lived; she had followed him home the night before. She bit her lip and glanced about, wondering if she should tell anyone else, but in the end stayed silent. She took one last glance back at the way Ranma had run, before walking back to the house. She didn't know why she felt bad. The guy said he had a fiancée... maybe that was it. She felt bad because she worried the guy's fiancée; she understood how a woman could be protective of her man. Yes, that was it. Ryoko nodded, and walked back with a new bounce to her step, though it quickly faded when the thought of protecting a man brought her thoughts back to Tenchi. Wiping a lone tear that traveled down her cheek. Slowing to a halt, Ryoko looked up at the other figures fading in the woods and thought a little, before smiling and disappearing in a shimmering display of power.  
  
Washu smirked as she trudged next to Katsuhito. 'Good luck dear...' She thought with a wry smile, before removing it and walking in silence.  
  
====early that morning====  
  
Ranma drearily opened the door of his apartment, and dragged himself in. He all but collapsed in the chair that he had, rubbing his temple. Escaping the lab had been an odd experience, with all those creatures and robots that girl had. Avoiding capture and fleeing through the forest had been easy. But getting a ride home, that was tough.  
  
Ranma had no money at the time, and so he was forced to find... other means to get home. In this case, it was hitching a ride atop a train that was headed to Tokyo. Now, this would normally prove somewhat difficult, even for a martial artist of Ranma's caliber. But with the spider powers he had gained, he could stand atop the speeding train and still not fall off. He'd probably fall backward from the wind, but not fall off.  
  
So, the thoroughly windswept Ranma made his way back to his apartment and here he was. Preparing to doze off, Ranma groaned at the unfairness of it all when a voice interrupted his daze.  
  
"So, you made it back in one piece."  
  
Sitting upright with a speed that would make a cheetah jealous, Ranma quickly identified the intruder's location and leapt into a ready stance.  
  
Not wanting to fight because she had no idea what the limits to this guy were, Ryoko stepped out of the shadow she had been waiting in and gazed at Ranma. "Relax kiddo."  
  
Ranma just blinked and his surprised expression turned hostile. "Relax!? What did you do to me!? One moment I am in a park minding my own business and then bam, There I am in some sort of alien lab in Okayama!"  
  
Ryoko winced and hung her head. "Ok, yeah... I suppose I shoulda tried something else.... I'm sorry alright?"  
  
Ranma hesitated but nodded, but not without getting chided by Kao for being too trusting. He knew that it was true, but could not help it, it was his nature. "Fine fine... What the heck did you take me for though...?"  
  
Ryoko sighed and took a step back, looking out the lone window in Ranma's apartment to the dark sky above. "I told you Earth is a Juraian (AN Thanks for the spelling tip ) colony. What are you doing here?"  
  
Ranma blinked, cocking his head ever so slightly. "What? Look, I am a human lady..."  
  
"Bullshit." Ryoko shot back, giving Ranma a sharp look that said 'cut the crap,' "What did you turn into last night then? Huh? Answer that big boy!" Ryoko asked, her eyes narrowing at Ranma who flinched at the mention of that incident.  
  
"Look... Fine, looks like I am not getting anywhere by trying to avoid this anyway... Kao, can you, come out here or something?"  
  
Ryoko raised an eyebrow and watched silently as Ranma's shirt rippled and shifted, and a small tendril grew out and a began expanding exponentially, slowly molding into a human like shape, with the same large white eyes and chaotic black and red pattern Ryoko had seen earlier. The jaw extended and elongated, rows of jagged and sharp teeth concealing a red void for a mouth. Once the figure had completely formed, it seemed to smile and bow, before its mouth began moving and it talked.  
  
"Greetings. I am bio-amplifier Kao-Soldier enhancer number 132. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person Ryoko, despite what you have done to my host. I do hope that we can solve this with the least amount of conflict." Kao stated diplomatically. Kao did not approve of Ranma's actions, he did know that he had to make the best of the situation, and thus decided to try to forge some sort of good relationship while he could.  
  
Ranma blinked at the red figure in front of him, expecting Kao to cover him and not form his own body.  
  
Ryoko was gawked at the figure before her, acting so civil and kind despite its hellish appearance. "W-What is that...?" Ryoko stuttered, raising a finger and pointing at Kao.  
  
Ranma took a step forward, the tentacle connecting he and the form of Kao sliding around and keeping them together comfortably. "Er, meet Kao. He's a symbiote from another planet."  
  
=====================  
  
Back in her lab, Washu drooled at the site of Kao in all his magnificence, obviously thinking of all the lovely tests and examinations that could be done to this fine specimen. Oh, and Ranma could come too.  
  
=======================  
  
Ryoko just couldn't keep her eyes off of Kao, staring at him with a mixture of fear and awe, unsure of how to act or what to say.  
  
"Look." Ranma said, walking in front of Kao to get her attention. "I am human. Kao chose me to be his... 'host' when he saw me protect some kids from my rival. No big deal right? We don't mean any threat to Jurai, so please don't kill Kao..." Ranma pleaded, with a deep sadness within his eyes.  
  
Ryoko shook her head and assimilated the words, before nodding ever so slightly. "W-We'll be back after we talk about this for a bit..."  
  
Fading away, Ryoko teleported back to the Masaki residence, preparing to speak with the residents to confer about the alien discovered on Earth.  
  
Back at his apartment, Ranma collapsed on his futon, Kao automatically shifting to a boxer-tank top combination that Ranma typically wore to sleep. Nearly the instant his head hit the pillow he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
=======================  
  
His eyes fluttered open, and he groaned. Stretching and sitting up, Ranma scratches as his stomach absently as he rose and prepared to go take a short shower.  
  
He was aware of the conversation he had held with Ryoko the previous night, and had long since come to the conclusion that she wasn't human. He also suspected a good amount of those at the shrine were aliens too, especially the girl who had that lab.  
  
He shuddered a bit at that experience.  
  
Taking a quick shower, Ranma toweled himself and had Kao turn into the set of clothes before walking out the door and into the main room. He froze when he noticed someone was inside the room, sitting on the couch and flipping through a magazine. It didn't take long for Ranma to recognize the person, the hair being a dead giveaway.  
  
"R-Ryoko?"  
  
Said person looked up from her magazine and smiled. "Ah, you're up. Are you always up this late?"  
  
Ranma didn't know how to answer and just stood there like a statue, unable to find the words to say.  
  
"Anyway, I talked it over with the others and we decided to watch over you. I got chose because I can teleport and keep up with you, if your demonstration yesterday was any indicator." Ryoko stated, talking about Ranma's hasty retreat.  
  
Ranma just continued to stare, failing to make any sign that he had heard her. He was, simply put, speechless.  
  
"Nothing to say big boy?" Ryoko asked, lifting a brow up on her forehead.  
  
Ranma shut his gaping mouth and pursued his lips. "Is that some sort of pet name now?" He inquired, realizing that it was not the first time Ryoko had called him this.  
  
Apparently, she too only just realized this and a slight red hue rose in her cheeks when she realized she had given him a pet name when she hardly knew him.  
  
Shrugging, Ranma muttered "Whatever." Before walking to the door, only to be halted by his new sentry.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
  
Ranma stopped and glanced back at Ryoko. "What?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Ryoko floated up to Ranma, uncaring about her show of powers and looked Ranma in the eye. "Didn't you hear me? I said I was going to watch you from now on, or at least until we can decide what to do with you."  
  
"Forgot about that...." Ranma deadpanned, sighing. "Well, I was going to the park to practice, like I was before someone took me to some shrine in Okayama."  
  
Ryoko had the decency to look mildly embarrassed, and Ranma used that moment to exit the apartment and start his short trip to the park to perform a couple of katas and try to work out some thoughts floating about in his head.  
  
He arrived at the park some few minutes later, and was not too surprised to find Ryoko sitting there with a very annoyed look on her face. "Listen pal," She started, pointing at Ranma and trying to drive the point home with the apparently hollow headed Ranma. "I don't care what you think; it has been decided by the Prince of Jurai himself that you should be watched!"  
  
Ranma tried to look interested, he really did. Unfortunately the yawn about midway into her little lecture caused all hope of this to be thrown out the window and then run over by a lawnmower, then light on fire when a stray cigarette fell onto it.  
  
Ryoko glared at the (in her mind) immature little prick that she had been asked to watch. 'Wow... I think I hit a new low...' she thought as Ranma ventured several feet away and started moving about with a fluid-like grace. Ryoko turned to see what her "assignment" was doing and paused when she noticed that he was moving about slowly, almost as if dancing, but his movements were so smooth and graceful, it was astounding.  
  
Ranma may not be the best or brightest person in the world, but when it came to martial arts, it would be insulting to not even recognize that this was his. Ranma was the art, and the art was indeed Ranma. They coexisted in a perfect harmony that few could doubt after watching him fight or practice.  
  
Ryoko too had become mesmerized by his slow and rhythmic dance, which grew faster after every moment. More complex attacks and maneuvers were incorporated as he twirled and danced about, making Ryoko question whether he was practicing combat or some sort of ritualistic dance.  
  
Ranma stopped some minutes later, wiping his brow with the back of his arm, a light sheen of sweat glimmering in the morning light. He glanced toward his new companion, and just gazed at her amazed expression with regret. He got too into it once again. Ranma couldn't help but get a little carried away when he practiced. And when he did this at parks or vacant lots in Nerima, a crowd always somehow manifested beneath his nose and he was left with quite a few amazed people to deal with.  
  
"At least it's just her..." Ranma grumbled, walking to her and snapping his fingers in her face several times.  
  
Awareness seemed to flood back into Ryoko's slitted eyes and she gazed at Ranma. "How long have you been practicing martial arts?"  
  
Ranma shrugged and began walking back to the apartment, Ryoko following close behind. "Since I can remember really... pops always wanted me to be the best."  
  
Ryoko had little doubt that Ranma's father had succeeded, if the display was correct.  
  
The rest of the short walk to Ranma's apartment was in silence as both Ranma and Ryoko reflected on the new situation that had been dropped into their laps. Ranma was weary, but with good reason. Another gorgeous woman watching over him every minute of the day was suicide. With his fiancées, there was a chance of serious damage to his body daily, and this was certainly no help, what with his fiancées tendency to jump to conclusions about other women and Ranma.  
  
Ryoko was not too eager about watching over Ranma, despite the fact that she would be the only one able to. With the heartbreak she had just went through, being near a man that had qualities that Tenchi had wasn't going to help at all either. She seemed to notice that Ranma wasn't quite as wise, but had much more skill in the physical areas. He seemed to be quite good at martial arts, and had a lot of muscle mass in a compact form that wasn't too overbearing with giant bulges.  
  
Overall, they were both skeptic as to how this was going to work. Willing to try, but doubting the overall success of the operation.  
  
Ranma entered the apartment, holding the door for Ryoko before walking into the bathroom and grabbing a towel to wipe the little bit of sweat he had worked up.  
  
Ryoko wandered over to the couch and took a seat, crossing her legs and draping her arms across the back. Getting comfy in general.  
  
Ranma exited the bathroom with a towel around his neck and took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, putting his feet up on the low coffee table he had.  
  
A very uncomfortable silence settled into the room as both sat there. They shifted occasionally, their faces screwing into different expressions as they kept to themselves and did not initiate any sort of conversation.  
  
Finally, Ryoko got so uncomfortable with the silence; she was forced to start talking.  
  
"So uh, Is Kao the only alien that you have met?" She threw out into the open, hoping for a bite.  
  
Ranma was surprised that she actually wanted to talk, but played along. Talking to Kao got a little tedious after a while, with his logic nonsense. "He was the first. You and the others at that shrine were the others." He replied nonchalantly.  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Ryoko smirked. "You figured it out huh?"  
  
Ranma snorted. "Please. I may not be a very bright person but when people walk through solid objects and teleport, I tend to figure it out. That and your aura isn't that of a human. I noticed you guys have different auras then humans do, like Kao does."  
  
"Aura?" Ryoko asked, getting genuinely interested now.  
  
Ranma nodded, but kept his eyes off Ryoko. "Yup. Every living thing creates an aura, it's the energies they produce. Normally, people can't see these. I trained enough that I can see them and when Kao came along, he only improved that. I have trained enough that I can bring my aura into this visual spectrum..." So saying, Ranma lifted his arm and a blue-ish flame erupted around his arm, engulfing it and flaring and lashing out like a flame would.  
  
Ryoko phased out and reappeared behind the couch with her energy blade drawn, her stance wide and ready for an attack.  
  
He jumped slightly at Ryoko's sudden disappearing act, but chuckled when she reappeared. "It's okay... I can control it... I had to learn, because my rival did." Ranma smiled at Ryoko as he spoke, and shifted his spectrum of vision to the aural one and quickly analyzed the sword she was holding, how it was formed and energies it used. (AN: This, in my opinion, is one of the coolest things about Ranma. Able to pick up on things so quick and adapt them to his own use. Damn cool. is thinking about how he wishes he was in an anime TT)  
  
Ryoko never picked up on Ranma's quick analysis of her energy sword, but eyed the ki-engulfed arm wearily, before standing straight and dispelling her sword. She approached cautiously, ready to teleport or move at the drop of a dime. Seeing Ranma act so casual about all this was very confusing, considering the fact that humans were not supposed to be able to harness that sort of energy. "Can I touch it?" She asked, still gazing at the amazing blue flames that were wrapped about Ranma's arm.  
  
He nodded, and Ryoko reached forward tentatively, pausing before actually reaching the odd looking energies, before finally pushing her hand into the depths of the writhing blue power. She gasped the moment her hand was immersed in the depths of the flame as sensations rushed through her body. She felt... lonely, confident, scared, and powerful all at the same time. She turned her gaze to Ranma with a confused look on her face. "Why... do I feel so strong?"  
  
Ranma grinned, and lowered the aura around his hand. "The feelings you felt are the feelings that I feel. Ki is a direct representation of one's soul, so you felt what I was feeling. Seeing her nod in understanding, Ranma continued. "You saw that the aura was blue, which means confidence. I use that emotion to channel my ki. It makes it less powerful than if I used some other emotions, but it makes it much easier to tap into my ki."  
  
"Which emotions are more powerful...?" Ryoko asked, now glad she had started some sort of conversation. She would never admit it, but she had a curiosity that she believed was "inherited" from Washu.  
  
Ranma shrugged and leaned back again, gazing at the wall with distant eyes. "Anger... depression... hate. Emotions that... aren't healthy to feel regularly. While they are much more powerful... the downsides outweigh the benefits. Besides, it's much easier for me to feel confident then depressed."  
  
She nodded and relaxed too, considering what he had said. It seemed he had much experience in this field. This energy... Washu would most definitely be interested in it. "What is it called? The energy I mean."  
  
"Hm?" Ranma asked, breaking out of his stupor. "Oh, we call it Ki... the spiritual energy that resides within."  
  
Ryoko filed that little piece of information away for Washu later, she would most likely be interested if humans could generate that type of power. It may help the Juraians too, as they needed their trees for power. If they could generate that energy without a tree to assist... well, it would be quite beneficial.  
  
"So, what's your story?" Ranma asked of Ryoko, turning a curious eye to her.  
  
She pursued her lips, knowing that it was only fair that she reveal a little bit as well. "What about me?"  
  
"You know... You are an alien right? What's it like?"  
  
Ryoko snorted. "What kinda question is that? I dunno what it's like to be alien. To me, you are an alien."  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes. "On this planet, you're the alien."  
  
"Fine." Ryoko conceded, "What do you want to know?"  
  
"You've been in space and stuff... right?"  
  
"Of course I have! Idiot! How do you think I got here?"  
  
Ranma shrugged. "You can teleport, so I thought-"  
  
"Well... I can only teleport over short to medium distances. Compared to the planet hopping idea that is. How do you think I got here so fast last night...?" Ryoko interrupted, gazing into Ranma's eyes.  
  
Ranma nodded and looked to think before speaking again. "Do you have a spaceship then?"  
  
"Yup!" Ryoko stated when she suddenly thought of something. "Ryo-oh-ki!" Her form blurred and disappeared with a buzzing noise, leaving Ranma alone.  
  
Ranma blinked several times, taking a look about the room to try and see where his watchdog had gone now.  
  
He needn't look any more, because she reappeared, floating in mid-air, now holding something in her arms.  
  
Ranma leapt backwards in surprise, stumbling over the couch and falling on his back. "Don't do that!" He shouted, gripping his chest where his heart was beating a mile a minute within.  
  
Ryoko laughed and lowered herself onto the couch, holding the furry bundle in her arms rather protectively.  
  
Ranma frowned at Ryoko, before rising to his feet and looking at the bundle of brown fur in her arms. To his surprise, two yellow eyes emerged from beneath two furry eyelids and large drooping ears twitched and perked up.  
  
"What is it...?" Ranma muttered, asking himself more then Ryoko.  
  
"This..." Ryoko began, beaming with pride. "is Ryo-oh-ki! My spaceship and companion!"  
  
"... Spaceship...?" Ranma questioned, reaching out hesitantly and stroking the creatures head.  
  
"Well, she turns into a spaceship."  
  
Ranma raised a brow but shrugged, petting Ryo-oh-ki's head, much to the cabbit's delight. "I'll take your word for it. Sure is a cute little-"  
  
Ryo-oh-ki was meeting a new potential friend, who seemed scared of her at first, but now was petting her! What a nice person this Ranma was! She couldn't help but voice her appreciation of his petting! "Miyah!" She sounded out.  
  
Ranma froze and his eyes glazed over as he stared at the cabbit, yet beyond it. Suppressed memories rose to the surface and replayed repeatedly in his mind, consuming his thoughts with darkness and pain.  
  
"Ranma...?" Ryoko asked, noticing how rigid he had gone. "You okay?"  
  
Ranma just continued gazing blankly at Ryo-oh-ki, but managed to force a word out. "C-c-cat..."  
  
Ryoko smiled and laughed. "No, Ryo-oh-ki's a cabbit. Washu made her! A mixture of a cat and a rabbit, plus some other minerals." She stated factually, only to realize that Ranma seemed somewhere else.  
  
Ranma slowly withdrew his hand, backing away slowly before screaming in primal terror and turning about, running like a madman and backing into a corner, trying to escape from the cat-thing.  
  
Ryoko smirked and raised a brow, approaching Ranma with her cabbit. "Come on... don't tell me you are afraid of cats?"  
  
"Miyah miyah!" Ryo-oh-ki added with concern in her meows.  
  
Ranma winced and twitched each time Ryo-oh-ki "spoke" his eyes welling with tears. "G-Get that thing away! Get it away!"  
  
Ryoko grinned like the Cheshire cat and held Ryo-oh-ki out in front of Ranma.  
  
Ryo-oh-ki looked sad and meowed pitifully, "Miyah?"  
  
Ranma broke into sobs, covering his face with his arms and twitching violently, almost as if he was having a seizure. "N-no! Father...! Not again... Not in the pit! Please!"  
  
Ryoko stopped when she heard him babbling about something and freaking out. She pulled back a sad Ryo-oh-ki with a hint of regret in her eye.  
  
"The eyes... oh god... not again, not the claws... the smell... the pain..." Ranma mumbled, shivering intensely.  
  
Wincing at the fear and horror in his voice, she retreated to the couch and put Ryo-oh-ki in her lap, scratching her absently as Ranma continued his mental breakdown in the corner of the apartment.  
  
It took nearly thirty minutes for poor Ranma to recover enough sanity to move, and he stood and sat opposite Ryoko, keeping his gaze off of the creature in her arms. "I suppose I owe you an explanation." Ranma stated with his eyes red and puffy from crying and tear tracks running down his cheeks. He had no shred of dignity left, so he felt no need to preserve it by acting tough.  
  
Ryoko nodded dumbly, cursing her stupidity in aggravating the situation.  
  
Ranma sighed, looking down at the floor before starting. "When I was six... my father told me of a technique that would make me... well... invincible. Supposedly, this technique was unbeatable. Well, being the fool I was, I was all for learning the technique. Of course, it did not matter if I didn't want to, he would have made me learn anyway."  
  
Ranma paused to let that sink in before continuing his tale, still unable to look at Ryoko. "The technique is known as the neko-ken. The cat-fist. It uses the ferocity and speed of a cat, as well as ones own energies to make them an unstoppable fighter. The problem, is that it makes them deathly afraid of cats. I... The training involves the trainee being wrapped in various fish products, depending on what you think would work. Then he is thrown into a pit that has already been dug and filled with cats, which are not fed for several days. The result is the trainee being... attacked by the cats to get the food."  
  
Ryoko just stared in shock with her jaw slack. What kind of sickos were on earth? She thought some aliens were bad... Sheesh.  
  
"I was put through that several times, with different fish foodstuffs wrapped about me every time. It left me with a fear of cats. However... when my fear gets to a point where I can't take it anymore... I snap."  
  
Ryoko swallowed and asked tentatively. "Snap?"  
  
Ranma nodded gently. "I... My mind just snaps and I start to think that I myself am a cat. The result is an unbeatable technique, but I act like a housecat and make a fool of myself."  
  
Ryoko winced and lowered her head. "I-I am sorry. I wouldn't have done that had I known..."  
  
Ranma raised his head, and to Ryoko's surprise, she found him grinning. His lip was quivering, but it was a grin regardless. "Hey... don't worry about it. You couldn't have known."  
  
Ryoko raised her head in shock. How could he forgive her?! She had just tortured the poor guy and here he was straight up forgiving her. It just... It wasn't right. He should be trying to throw her out or some such thing, but instead he was swallowing his pride (For Ranma, were talking monumental effort) and just saying it's alright.  
  
"So... you say Ryo-oh-ki here isn't a... cat?"  
  
Ryoko shook her head vaguely. "No... She's a cabbit."  
  
Ranma nodded and knelt down, getting level with Ryo-oh-ki. He looked up at Ryoko and asked, "Can she understand me?" She nodded in response and watched as Ranma lowered his head. "Sorry bout me freakin out... I know it probably wasn't very nice of me. You were just curious about me huh?"  
  
Ryo-oh-ki looked up at Ranma with big, sad eyes and nodded, nearly on the verge of tears.  
  
Smiling, Ranma reached out and pet the cabbit, scratching her behind the head and caused Ryo-oh-ki to close her eyes and lean into the petting. "Sorry... It's me, not you. At least you don't look like a cat. But... while you are around me, can you keep the meowing to a minimum, at least until I get fixed of this little problem?"  
  
Immediately a difference could be seen in Ryo-oh-ki as she opened her eyes and nodded happily, leaping up and onto Ranma's shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. She could tell that he was a nice guy, like Tenchi! If she had to be quiet to be friends with a new person, then she would try her best.  
  
Ryoko was amazed at how quickly Ranma had gained Ryo-oh-ki's affection. He seemed to be amazing her again and again. She had him pegged for a snotty, arrogant little punk, and here he is coming out with this kindness that completely warped her view of him. And that story he told her... that was obviously a traumatic experience, at six most kids would die or go mad. But here he is, living strong and still with kindness in his heart. More investigating was definitely in order, but for now she thought that he was finished with telling her of his past.  
  
Ranma stood and went to the kitchen to fix something up for lunch, idly petting a very content cabbit that was resting on his shoulder.  
  
Ryoko followed and sat at the table, watching him go about fixing some ramen for the both of him before setting both bowls on the table before taking a seat. She sniffed at the ramen and took a cautious bite and was pleased by it's flavor. Not nearly as good as Sasami's of course, but nothing to sneeze at.  
  
Before he even took a bite, Ranma swallowed his pride again and looked at Ryoko. "Thank you... for not laughing at my... phobia."  
  
Ryoko looked up and paused stuffing her face before nodding and slurping up the noodles hanging out of her mouth. "Yeah... uh, no problem."  
  
Ranma smiled weakly before digging into his own bowl. The rest of the meal was eaten in comfortable silence as Ryo-oh-ki fell asleep quite comfortable on Ranma's shoulder and Ranma and Ryoko ate, the only noise being the noodles sucked into the endless stomachs that sat across from each other.  
  
================================  
  
"So... how long you been working at this joint?" Ryoko asked after slugging down another bottle of sake.  
  
Ranma just watched the alien down another bottle as he stood behind the counter and shook his head. "That's just... crazy..." he muttered, thinking about how much damage she must have done to her liver. "Actually, the day you came in was my first."  
  
Ryoko seemed surprised. "Huh, you're pretty good for a new guy."  
  
Ranma thanked her and continued serving the slow trickle of people that entered, which was not very many at all. Ranma had already realized that his job was one at a not so popular bar, not that he minded mind you. That was fine with him, as long as he got paid.  
  
A gruff, unshaven man entered an hour or so into Ranma's shift, and Ranma noted the odd hairstyle. He had long sideburns, trailing down to the center of his cheek, and his hair was put up into two spikes, which had an odd, almost animalistic trait to it. He was slightly hunched over as walked, as if he was some sort of beast. A thick cigar stuck out of his mouth, the red embers burning brightly as he took puffs. He was foreign, that much was certain, but Ranma knew this man had fighting experience.  
  
"Kirin." The man said as he took a seat a couple spaces away from Ryoko, eyeing the woman oddly as she gulped down more sake.  
  
Ranma got the bottle of beer and set it and a glass out, pouring it for the man.  
  
"Thank you." The man muttered in only slightly accented Japanese.  
  
Ranma went back to tending behind the bar as he spoke. "Your Japanese is good."  
  
The man looked up from the beer, eyeing Ranma as if he was sizing him up. "How did you know I spoke Japanese?"  
  
Chuckling, Ranma shrugged. "Well, I guessed. You speak it well, hardly any accent at all."  
  
The man shrugged, obviously not much of a talker. "I used to live in Japan."  
  
"You are here on business then?"  
  
Raising a brow, the man appeared interested as to why Ranma kept badgering him.  
  
Ranma smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, gets kinda boring 'round here. Thought I could talk to help time pass."  
  
Nodding, the other man seemed to accept the explanation. "Well, you could say that."  
  
Ranma nodded and wiped several glasses. "My name is Ranma by the way."  
  
"Logan." The man gruffly answered, finishing his beer off and putting some yen on the table before getting up and leaving.  
  
"Sheesh, no one wants to talk these days..." Ranma muttered, taking the money and the glass and starting to take care of them.  
  
======================  
  
"Ryoko? Oi! Ryoko!" A voice disturbed her slumber as she groggily awoke, her eyes half-lidded.  
  
"Huh...? What?" She responded smartly, looking about and getting her bearings.  
  
"Place is closing up, let's go."  
  
Ryoko immediately woke up and noticed that Ranma was the one who had awoken her, and she gazed into his blue eyes which smiled as she looked into them.  
  
"Come on, let's get you home."  
  
Assisting the still very intoxicated Ryoko, Ranma steadied her and helped her walk back to the apartment, where he opened the door.  
  
Ryoko immediately started floating up, expecting her rafter to be there but paused when she noticed only a ceiling up there. "Where'd mah rafter go!?" She shouted, looking about frantically.  
  
"Rafter... Ryoko what are you talking about?" Ranma asked, his eyebrow coming to a peak as he gazed at her.  
  
"It's my room! I sleep up there!" She stated as she looked under the couch as to try and discern her rafters location.  
  
Ranma froze at that and stared at the alien girl he hadn't known for more than a week. She slept on a rafter...? What kind of monster did this to her? "Ryoko." Ranma said, loud enough to get Ryoko's attention. That seemed to knock her out of her drunken stupor as she stood and gazed at Ranma. "Go ahead and take my room, I'll sleep on the couch."  
  
Ryoko winced and shook her head. "No! That's ok, I mean, I can sleep on the couch."  
  
Ranma frowned and marched up to Ryoko. "Look, I may not be very smart, but I know how to treat a lady. Making her sleep on a rafter or on the couch is not proper! Don't worry about it, I have slept with rocks for pillows for most of my life. This, this is luxury to me." Ranma said, flopping on the couch and getting comfy as his clothes molded themselves into his casual tank top and boxer combination.  
  
She watched the shift with awe. No matter how many times she saw it, it was simply... astounding. His words finally registered and Ryoko nodded, slinking her way into Ranma's room, which was quite bare. All that was within was a backpack and a futon.  
  
She the carefully folded futon and laid it out nicely, before climbing in to it's warm depths and getting comfy. She rolled over once and was surprised when a squeal came from the depths of the futon. Gasping in surprise, Ryoko raised the covers and took a peak deep within the depths of her bed and found...  
  
Ryo-oh-ki, pinned underneath her leg. Giggling, she reached down and pulled her partner up and set her up by her head. She patted her cabbit once before getting snuggly in her new bed.  
  
"Miyah..." Ryo-oh-ki meowed softly, as to not scare her new friend.  
  
A small smile crept onto Ryoko's lips as she shifted a bit. "Yeah, you're right... He is special."  
  
--------------  
  
Fin! For this chapter at least. Well... this one took me longer, but as you can tell by the length, it should have been. This is a pretty decent sized update compared to my past ones, so enjoy it. Because next is KoS. I promised them some love, and they shall receive from their uncle Gundraw. But fear not, my loyal fans! For their shall be... another update!  
  
Ja! Gundraw 


	8. Chapter of the eighth

Chapter 9: The Untamable Stallion versus The Wolverine!  
  
"speech"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
[Kao symbiote]  
  
/telepathy/  
  
Okay, one of my long and spontaeneous updates again... Sorry, but I won't be able to work on this as much as I have been in the past... I am starting to write a book. If you're interested about what I am going to be writing, send me an e-mail at or IM me AIM: TouketsuHouou MSN: Syrhk  
  
Still no fanart... several people spoke to me and said they were making it, but I have yet to recieve any... That would be a motivator for me to get more writing done... Hell No one else needs to see it, just me...  
  
Interesting site here... I found a site that calculates the true power and speed of Ranma, pretty interesting... he's doing it scientifically to. According to it, Ranma's Amaguriken is 3 times the speed of sound, average. Max speed is twice that... interesting stuff...  
  
Oh, anyone out there play Ragnarok Online? If so, why not come play with me... I am on the Loki server and my characters names are Syrhk and Tekrhen. Look forward to seeing someone online, if at all.  
  
Yup that's about all I have to say really... poll is still going, Rogue is winning... and this is what you've all been waiting for... Logan versus Ranma...  
  
Ryoko's eyes squeezes shut one last time before finally opening and revealing the surrounding room to her. A small ball of fur lay by her body in the crook of her neck, which she immediately realized was Ryo-Oh-Ki, and she raised a hand and absently pet the cabbit.  
  
She felt much better rested than she had ever felt, and she quickly realized the reason. Sitting up and gazing back at the futon she had been asleep on, Ryoko gave a small smile when she thought of her hosts kindness despite her lack of it. Turning once again, Ryoko yawned loudly and stretched her arms out, scratching at her gut as she turned to inspect the clock.  
  
Ryoko baulked as she realized she had long overslept and quickly dressed and drifted through the wall, praying that the man she was staying with had not left.  
  
The moment her face got through she paused in surprise to see Ranma sitting at the table and busy munching on some eggs and bacon. His eyes widened in surprise to see Ryoko's head just sticking out of a wall and cocked his head to the side a bit, unknowingly making him look all the more cute.  
  
"Another power of yours?" Ranma inquired, taking another bite of food and keeping his eyes on the head sticking out of his room.  
  
Ryoko only blinked before grinning sheepishly and coming all the way through, the rest of her body emerging from the depths of the wall and she stood, taking a tentative sniff of the food. "Smells good..."  
  
Ranma pointed back at the stove, gesturing with his fork. "There is more on the stove if you want it."  
  
Ryoko's eyes lit up. She had not expected him to cook for her. Grabbing a plate from a cabinet, she piled some of the delicious looking nourishment onto her plate and sat at the table, all but devouring the food in record time.  
  
Across from her, Ranma sighed and dropped his fork as he stared at his eggs. He had barely eaten half of them, and here he was not hungry. And it was still his first plate! It wasn't that he was full; it's just that he... wasn't hungry. Like he had received the food he needed already, and that was that. This was definitely odd, he would normally be on thirds or fourths by now...  
  
Ryoko on the other hand, was on thirds and fourths.  
  
"Where is Ryo-oh-ki?" Ranma asked, trying to find some redeeming value for the meal.  
  
Ryoko looked up with bits of egg all over her muzzle and blinked before responding. "Oh, she went back to the shrine. She needed to eat."  
  
"Couldn't she eat here?" Ranma asked, glancing back at the food.  
  
Chuckling, Ryoko answered: "Nah... She loves carrots. Can't get enough of them. The shrine was basically turned into a carrot farm for her."  
  
If Ranma remembered correctly, that shrine was quite large. He hadn't actually seen the entirety of the property, but he had a good idea of just how large the property was.  
  
"Are you planning on working out again...?" Ryoko asked, stirring Ranma from his thoughts.  
  
Ranma looked up and nodded, grabbing his dish and taking it to the sink and beginning to wash it off. "I actually already went earlier this morning. You must have slept well."  
  
Ryoko's cheeks flushed with color and she gave a meek nod to Ranma's back, though she had a feeling he had already known the answer. She should have been upset that he had left without her there to watch her, but she couldn't help but not be angry at the guy. So far he had far more pros then cons.  
  
"What are your plans for today then?"  
  
Ranma paused in his cleaning and turned to Ryoko. "Not much, I don't really have much to do until work tonight, so we could do whatever."  
  
"What do you mean "we"?" Ryoko asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.  
  
Ranma blinked, clueless as to the reason why Ryoko seemed angry. "Er... Well if you gotta watch me you may as well be able to do something with me, right? Don't want you to get bored."  
  
Ryoko opened her mouth as if to speak, but closed it again and nodded meekly, the flush becoming more evident in her cheeks.  
  
"You feeling okay? You look sick..." Ranma stated with concern in his eyes as he looked at Ryoko's face.  
  
"I'm fine!" Ryoko shouted, her reaction a bit too much for the simple question.  
  
"Jeez okay, sheesh... Just worried about ya. No need to bite my head off." Ranma grumbled before walking to the bathroom.  
  
Ryoko let out a loud sigh once he left, her heart pounding. What was he? No human she had met had ever made her feel so... uncomfortable. Was that the feeling she felt? She didn't know, but all she knew was that she didn't like it.  
  
Ranma emerged a moment later with a toothbrush hanging from within his mouth and a towel around his shoulders. He gave a wary glance at Ryoko and continued to the kitchen and took Ryoko's plate to clean.  
  
"Thank you." Ryoko meekly said, to which Ranma grunted in response.  
  
As he scrubbed, Ranma curiously took a glance at Ryoko and saw that she was looking better. He took a moment to remove the toothbrush from his mouth before speaking. "So uh, you know where you want to go this afternoon? I am drawing up blanks here."  
  
Ryoko was surprised that he was letting her choose where they would go, but there wasn't anywhere that she could think to go to either. The only sounds in the small apartment were the steady flow of water from the faucet and the delicate clanking of dishes that Ranma was washing.  
  
"We could go to the shrine... I mean, that is if you want to..." Ryoko stated, breaking the awkward silence again. Ranma paused for a moment to consider it and gave a skeptical glance back at Ryoko as he considered it.  
  
"Is that such a good idea? I mean, with what happened last time and all..." Ranma started, but Ryoko cut him off, shaking her head frantically.  
  
"Nonononono! I mean, it'll be fine! We are uhm..." Ryoko poked her index fingers together and looked away from Ranma, who was gazing at her intently. "Used to misunderstandings... I am sure they'd love to meet you!"  
  
"Oh..." Ranma said, looking up thoughtfully and smiling. "Yeah sure then, we can go see R-Ryo-ohki again." Ranma said, his voice wavering only slightly at the end. Ryoko smiled and nodded as Ranma began to put the dishes away, causing some white noise to fill the background. "Just let me tell my boss that I am not gonna be in for work tonight..." Ranma said and turned away from Ryoko, looking at the entirety of his apartment and blinking. He blinked several times, glancing around and adopting a confused expression on his face before Ryoko finally asked.  
  
"What are you looking for?"  
  
Ranma turned and acknowledged he had heard her before furrowing his brow again and looking around. "The phone... I coulda sworn I..."  
  
[Host Ranma, you have not yet purchased a phone] The layered voice of Kao said from everywhere, yet nowhere.  
  
Ranma stopped in mid sentence and smacked his forehead, feeling like a fool. "That's right, I don't... thanks for reminding me Kao." Ryoko was about to ask who Kao was but then remberered the sentient being that was living in Ranma's body. She eyed him, still unsure of the beings purpose and intentions.  
  
"So... where is... Kao right now?" Ryoko asked, floating closer and circling Ranma, poking and prodding all around his body and feeling for lumps or mishapen parts. Ranma jumped away and looked at Ryoko as if she was crazy, fright and fear evident in his mannerisms.  
  
"Woah there! Sheesh, ask before you touch... and as for where Kao is... well..." Ranma said, grabbing his shirt and holding it up. "He's right here." Ryoko floated forward and snatched the material from Ranma's hand, and insantly cooed at the feel of it.  
  
"Wow! It feels so soft and smooth... but also really strong! That's really cool!" Ryoko exclaimed, completely oblivious to the fact that Ranma had frozen up with a horrified expression as he gazed at her head. "So can he become any type of clothes or..." Ryoko started, before looking up and realizing how close she was. She appeared several feet away and looked away, finishing her sentence. "... is that all that it could turn into...?" It took several seconds before Ranma regained motor control over his body and shook his head to clear his mind and realzed that she had asked a question.  
  
"Uhm, no, Kao can become all sorts of cool stuff, here see..." Ranma said, willing Kao to shift into several sets of clothes including a tuxedo and a bathing suit before shifting back to his red Chinese tang and black pants with slippers. "It really saves money on clothes since these are usually silk..." Ranma said, pointing at the shirt.  
  
Ryoko nodded from her position and thought that something like that would be very useful. She didn't really wear a large variety of clothing, but for someone who did wear a variety of clothes... never have to buy again!  
  
"Anyway, Kao stated that I don't have a phone... so we are going to have to go and tell my boss I am missing work tonight." Rising to his feet, Ranma headed for the door and waited for Ryoko to come along, which she did right after him and they left for his place of employment.  
  
=-=-=-Some time earlier, The hotel room of one Peter Parker-=-=-=  
  
A soft moan was expelled from the web slingers mouth as he woke up on an uncomfortable surface. He shited several times, trying to find a comfortable place and frowned when he found himself unable to find a comft position. Couch: 1 Peter Parker: 0. Grumbling about uncomfortable sofas Peter reluctantly rose to his feet and stretched, working the many kinks that had developed in his body overnight. Taking a quick peek at the bed, he saw that his wife had already woken up and was not in bed, so he decided to go and use the bathroom quickly, brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower before heading out to the kitchenette to look for any sign of his spouse. Soon after arriving, Peter realized that Mary Jane was not in the room and began to panic, wondering what could have happened to her. Of course, that is until he saw the note sitting on the counter.  
  
Peter-  
Went out shopping, hope you didn't sleep in too much! Hope you learned your lesson, there is some cereal in the cupboard. It was the only one in English... didn't want to take my chances with the others. I'll be back for lunch.  
-Hugs and kisses, MJ  
  
Peter let a sigh of relief escape his lips before smiling. His wife wasn't worried about a thing, despite his numerous enemies... including Venom. Peter thought that he and Mary Jane should talk about the dangers again... she seemed to be growing quite careless, and it was beginning to worry Peter. Discarding the thought for the time being, Peter reached and opened up the cupboard, reaching and grabbing the box that was held within and pulled it out to see what his wife had chosen for him. His brow raised at the brightly colored box that looked like a clown had vomited on the cover. "Sugar Awesome Yum O's!!??" Was brightly written across the cover, and a bowl showing some cereal that matched the boxes colors within and a kid looking quite happy at the sight of them. "Hoo boy..." Was all Peter said as he snagged a bowl and spoon and prepared to dig into his bowl of clown vomit.  
  
But just before the spoon could reach his lips, a loud reverberating knock flooded the room and Peter looked to the door. The knock had been loud, and almost metallic in sound, and Peter narrowed his eyes slightly, before looking down at his cereal. Deciding that answering the door would probably be better for his health, even if it was an enemy of his, Peter abandoned the bowl and headed to the door, opening it casually, but tensing in case there was an attack.  
  
There was none, and Peter almost immedieatelely recognized the gruff man that was standing before him and a shocked look grew on his face. "Logan? Is that you?" Peter asked, smiling and laughing wholeheartedly. The gruff man that looked like he hadn't shaved for a day or so smiled as well and entered, ducking his head a little for the low door.  
  
"Hello to you to Pete. How's MJ doing these days?" Logan asked, letting himself in and taking a seat on what had been Peter's bed for the night.  
  
Peter smiled and leaned against the wall, the smile seemingly permanently etched on his face. "She's good, real good. Not too happy about what happened yesterday, I kinda swore off the superhero stuff for the trip, ya know?" Logan grinned and nodded, , propping his legs up on the table. "I assume you're here about that mutant I called about..." Peter continued, and seeing Logan become serious and nod again, he nodded and sighed to himself. "Okay then, I'll start from the beginning... it happened yesterday when I heard about a bank robbery... I couldn't just let that go on so...  
  
One explanation later  
  
... and then I turn around and... he's gone! Like, gone! I never heard him or anything! He just... vanished!" Peter exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. "I am not sure if he teleported, or is just really fast... hell I don't know if it's even a mutant power! But... you can see why I am worried right? A mutant that can take out Venom so easily is... well, either good or bad, depending on which side he's on."  
  
Logan nodded and went over the tale in his mind, before turning a curious eye to Peter. "What did you say he looked like again?"  
  
Peter furrowed his brow and thought back to when they were facing off and nodded slightly. "He was about my height... lean, muscle was there but it wasn't bulky in any way... he had long black hair tied back in a pigtail and um... blue eyes, bright blue."  
  
"And what was he wearing?" Logan pressed.  
  
"Uh... just a red chinese shirt and some black pants with black slippers... oh and a pair of black bracers on his arms... why?" Peter asked, looking to Logan.  
  
Logan got rid of the smirk he was just wearing and shrugged. "No reason... I'll keep in touch if I see him." Peter thanked Logan as he stood and left, shutting the door behind him. "Knew there was more to that bartender..." He muttered and headed for the exit, destination in mind.  
  
=-= Tenshinoshi Bar=-=  
  
"Well, that was easy..." Ranma said happily, resting his arms behind his head and smiling happily. Ryoko nodded in agreement, the boss didn't seem to care about Ranma's abscence. "So we just need to find a private place and then we can go ahead and teleport to the..." Ranma was interrupted as he opened the door to the bar, and found himself staring into the eyes of a man who was slightly hunched over with long sideburns and a cigar sticking out of his mouth. "Hey, you're that guy from last...!"  
  
Ranma found himself forced to stop talking as a fist flew forward toward his face. Instinctually his arms darted out and caught the fist and he turned and threw the man over his shoulder in a perfectly executed Judo throw. The man who had attacked, Logan, flew across the length of the bar and collided with the wall, causing it to cave in around and atop of him before he slumped onto the ground.  
  
"That works..." Ryoko said, turning a raised brow to Ranma, who chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.  
  
Ranma turned away from his watchdog and approached the rubble casually, sure that the man was knocked out. Of course, he wasn't expecting his foe to have superhuman healing that surpassed even his. As Ranma stood over the rubble an arm shot up and grasped the collar of his shirt, before the rest of the man exploded from under the debris and growled animalistically. "Wrong move, bub." Ranma's eyes widened and he leapt back from another punch, causing the shirt Kao was molding into to rip off in Logan's hand, but not without a strain on his body. However, the ripping sound was not a papery sound, it was wet and almost fleshy, like skin being ripped from a body. "What the hell..." Logan muttered and looked down at the red goop in his hand that was quivering and dissolving as he watched it. He looked up at Ranma with an expression that could be described as cautious and watched the shirt melt into the hole and fill it in, becoming the complete article before his eyes. Logan snarled and shook off some of the dust still left on his body before getting a running start toward Ranma and leaping at him, arms extended out in front of him as if he wanted to punch Ranma. Ranma was about to laugh at the abusrdity of the move. That is, until three claws made of some metal slid out from imbetween the knuckles of Logan's fists and were coming at him faster than he'd like. The ghost of a smile that had been forming on his face disappeared in an instant and he snagged the wrists of his assailant and pushed them up and away from his vital organs. Using the momentum Ranma provided, Logan flipped his legs forward from behind him and slammed them into his gut. Ranma didn't have time to gasp, as he was propelled at an alarming rate through the wall behind him and out into the street and into oncoming traffic. Groaning, Ranma looked to the side and watched as a car propelled at high speeds toward his head. Gathering his wits, Ranma put his arms next to his head and lifted his legs up before launching himself nearly fifty in the air easily, watching as the car zoomed pass beneath before crashing into a store, the driver being distracted by the feat of strength he had just seen.  
  
Logan had exited through the hole in the bar quickly enough to watch Ranma launch himself up through the air and then land on the ground so lightly it sounded as if he hadn't fallen more than a foot. He only raised an eyebrow and smiled, crouching low and raising his clawed hands, preparing for round two. Ranma also got into a stance and narrowed his eyes at the man who had attacked him for seemingly no reason. Around them a large arena was forming in the shape of parked cars and people watching and speaking of mutants and pointing at the combatants. Just before both were about to charge Ranma's eyes flicked behind Logan. "Stop Ryoko!" He called, causing Logan to turn around and see the green-haired woman he had seen earlier behind him with a sword made of pure energy raised above her, ready to strike. He now began to grow slightly worried, turning back to Ranma who was glaring at him openly and seemed unaware of the surrounding crowd.  
  
"This is a fight between me and him, stay out of it Ryoko..." Ranma spat out, getting into a stance quickly and readying himself.  
  
"Got that right..." Logan said, smiling and getting into a low stance of his own. Ryoko narrowed her eyes and the tone Ranma had used with her but decided to let it go... for now, and instead chose to watch the fight. Ranma shifted his foot ever so slightly, pieces of rock grinding against the cement beneath his feet. It was the only thing Logan needed to act as a signal and he immediately ran forward and let a shout out, raising his claws in front of him and preparing for an attack. Ranma instantly shifted his weight down and back to counter the assault and narrowly dodged a swipe from the man's claws, followed by another and another. Bending and contorting to impossible positions to avoid the attacks. Logan was quickly growing frustrated, and cursed loudly each time he missed and finally took several steps back, panting a bit.  
  
"My turn..." Ranma said and popped his knuckles before charging forward and landing a devastating punch on Logan's jaw before he had time to react. After he hit him, Ranma shook his fist and looked down at it, frowning when he saw that the knuckles was raw. 'Already... but, that was only one hit!' Ranma thought and glanced up at Logan, who was shaking his head and struggling to maintain his balance.  
  
'God damn that kid's got one helluva punch!' Logan thought as he tried to clear his head. Even with his adamantium encased skeleton that punch rattled his body to the core. He could already feel his body hurrying the heal the enourmous bruise that was forming on his cheek and easing the sore jaw. "That's a nice punch ya got there kid..." Logan said and spit out some blood that had leaked in his mouth.  
  
Ranma bounced on his heels and grinned, rolling his neck around and smiled. "You ain't seen nuthin yet!"  
  
Logan crouched low again and readied his claws in front of him, watching Ranma closely for signs of movement. He caught Ranma's eyes flick away from his own for only a second and his smile falter, and he knew what he was looking at.  
  
'Holy shit this guy heals fast... like Saffron... damnit I'll have to use some to the more dangerous techniques for this guy, I don't want to but if he can heal a punch that fast...' Ranma thought as he stopped bouncing and prepared to charge again. Logan however was ready this time, and raised a punch to Ranma as he darted forward, however that wasn't near enough and was easily swatted aside before he heard several words shouted loudly in Japanese.  
  
"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!"  
  
Logan's only thoughts before he was introduced to a world of pain were what the words meant in english. 'Imperial chestnuts roasting on an open fire fist...?' And then it started. It felt like someone was pushing a jackhammer into his gut and the guy behind it only pushed it further in. He could swear that if a hand was placed on his back they would feel the fist pushing all the way through his gut and into his back, or at least that's what it felt like. After what seemed like minutes, but was only half of one, Ranma stopped and took a step back, admiring his handiwork. Logan immediately fell to his knees and emptied his stomach onto the ground, and continued heaving when there was nothing left in his gut to let out.  
  
"Let that be a lesson 'bub'..." Ranma mocked, smiling above him. "Ranma Saotome never loses."  
  
"AND JUST WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" A voice shouted from behind Ranma, causing him to flinch and jerk around, where he found himself looking into the yellow slitted eyes of Ryoko. "That was some punch, just lookit the guy! He can't stop trying to vomit!"  
  
Ranma laughed weakly and rubbed the back of his head, trying to look innocent. "Hehe, guess I dunno my own strength."  
  
"Y-You little shit!" Logan exclaimed from behind him, attempting to rise to his feet and failing horribly.  
  
"Ryoko, let's get outta here... quick." Ranma said as he glanced back at Logan, who was giving Ranma the gaze of death. Ryoko rolled her eyes behind Ranma and stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Ranma's. Right in front of everyone, both Ryoko and Ranma shimmered and became slightly transparent before disappearing altogether.  
  
Logan panted and finally made it to his feet and retched one more time before wiping the excess vomit from his chin. "Look like we got more then one mutant..." He growled, the throbbing pain in his gut finally easing slightly. He looked around at the crowd that was staring at him with a mixture of fear and awe. Letting his claws slide back into his hands, Logan looked around at the people staring at him. "What are you all staring at!?" The crowd flinched and immediately started to disperse. Logan cursed once more and got his bearings before limping off to Peter's hotel room to tell him the news, Pete wasn't going to be happy, but Logan didn't care. His mind was set on beating that little punk now.  
  
---Masaki Shrine---  
  
"Now Tenchi, don't think of the sword as a weapon or an object... instead think of it as an extension of your body..." Katsuhito said, before a pop interrupted his training. Both he and Tenchi turned and were mildly surprised when they saw Ryoko standing there with the boy they had been chasing not a day earlier. "This is certainly unexpected..." Katsuhito mused, causing Ranma to smile weakly.  
  
Now that he had the chance, Katsuhito did a quick scan over Ranma and was very intrigued by what he found. The boy had skills that impressed even Katsuhito, that was certain. The amount of energy he was putting out was astounding, and even then it was hard for Katsuhito to sense, the boy obviously had quite a bit of training in energy manipulation to be able to conceal it so well. The next noticable thing was his body. Not the shape it was in, but the movements it made, subtle, but there. He was a fighter, and a good one. His muscles were constantly pulsing with power and energy, ready for any sort attack on his being. Katsuhito had a mirthful smile as he decided to test this theory out.  
  
There was almost no warning for the attack, but Ranma noticed it the second the old man had shifted to prepare for it. In a split second, Ranma had ducked to the side and caught the bokken that the man had swung at him. "I thought we were past this..." Ranma grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the old man. 'This isn't an ordinary old geezer...' Ranma thought, 'His speed is amazing...'  
  
Katsuhito laughed loudly and relaxed, before bowing to Ranma. "Quite right, forgive me... I wanted to test something out."  
  
"Did I pass?" Ranma asked with an upraised eyebrow.  
  
"With flying colors." Was all Katsuhito said before turning and walking back to Tenchi. "Well, let's not be rude Tenchi, invite our guests inside!"  
  
Tenchi shook the awestruck gaze from his face and responded, "Oh! Please, come inside!"  
  
Ranma turned to Ryoko as Tenchi headed inside and gave her a skeptical look. "You fell for this loser?"  
  
Ryoko fumed for a moment and her cheeks flushed brightly. "Tenchi is not a loser! He-"  
  
"He's a loser... prolly can't even fight..." Ranma interrupted and walked after Tenchi, raising his arms behind his head. Behind him, Ryoko fumed and clenched her fists so tightly that her nails threatened to pierce the skin.  
  
"Why that little..." She growled and floated after Ranma with violent thoughts playing through her mind.  
  
Ranma let out a low whistle and looked about him as Tenchi led him inside. "Nice place..." He muttered, glancing about and donning an impressed look on his face.  
  
"Oh! Hi Tenchi-niicha-" called a high voice that got Ranma's attention. Turning away from a picture on the wall, Ranma saw that they were in the main room of the house, and a low table was out. A young girl was standing in a doorway to what appeared to be the kitchen.  
  
Ranma smiled happily and waved. "Yo!"  
  
The girl instantly grew happier and smiled back at Ranma. "Hello!"  
  
"I'm Ranma, what's your name?" Ranma asked.  
  
"My name is Sasami!" The girl, who Ranma now knew as Sasami, replied and giggled quite cutely.  
  
Ryoko watched silently behind Ranma, a not so surprised look on her face. Sasami was quick to befriend and quick to trust, so it was no real surprise that she and Ranma hit it off immediately, but Ryoko knew that Ranma and Sasami would be fine, she was more worried about...  
  
"What in Tsunami's name is HE doing here!?"  
  
...Ayeka  
  
Ranma turned around to see the purple haired girl that he had seen the last time he was here was glaring at him 


	9. Chapter of the ninth

Logan groaned, cursing that young mutants name for the thousandth time in a few minutes struggled down the hall of the fairly nice hotel, one hand on his stomach and the other against the wall for support. Despite his amazing healing power, the punches that the boy dealt out left their mark.

He arrived at his destination, warily taking his hand of the wall and ensuring he could hold himself upright, before banging loudly on the door in front of him. Several powerful knocks rang out through the hall, and the sound of footsteps was heard from within.

The lock unlatched and the door opened slightly, exposing a brown haired, meek appearing man, who's eyes widened at the look of Logan.

"Hey Pete… mind if I come in?" Logan wheezed, flinching several times.

"Holy crap! Yeah, sure, come on in!" Peter shouted, pulling the door open and pulling one of Logan's arms over his shoulder, assisting him over to the couch.

"You got some ice?" Logan grunted, wincing in pain again as he had to sit down.

"Yeah… yeah lemme go get some…" Peter replied, heading back to the kitchenette to grab some ice and something to put it in so that it could be put in. Part of the way into getting the materials, Peter blinked and looked up at Logan. "Why do you need ice…?"

Logan grunted and lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing his stomach to the wall-crawler. Calling it a bruise would be understating it by a long shot. His stomach was covered in splotched purple and reddish splotches, the most hideous bruise Peter had ever seen. The bruise was already clearing up, and Peter began to wonder what it looked like right after he received the wound. Which brought on the next question…

"What the hell happened?" Peter asked as he brought some ice in a plastic bag over to Logan, who snatched it and put it on the wound, which flared up in protest to the cool compress.

"Been a long time since I needed to do this…" Logan muttered, his thoughts turning back to that punk… Ranma he called himself. "Gonna kill that little punk…" Logan growled, peaking Peter's interest.

"What!? Who did this to you?" Peter asked, already feeling he knew the answer.

"Your mutant…" Logan growled, lifting the ice pack to examine the bruise a moment before setting it back down on the wound.

"You found him already! Wow… talk about lucky… or… unlucky in this case." Peter muttered, still amazed at the severity of the bruise. "You say one punch did this?"

Logan sighed and shook his head. "It looked like it, but it was a long punch… and the bruise is way to big to be just one punch… looks like he's got strength and speed… or some other mutant power of some type… I did get a name though. Ranma Saotome."

Peter grinned. "Well, at least you got one good thing from that… I'll see if I can find out where the guy lives or-"

"I'm going too..." Logan stated, his voice showing he was adamant against being told otherwise. He lifted the icepack and saw that the bruise was nearly gone, already having healed as they had spoken. "I got a score to settle."

Peter stared at the gut of Logan, still amazed that such a severe bruise could be healed so quickly. "Alright… let me leave a note for MJ…" Peter said and rose, heading back to the kitchenette to retrieve a pen and a piece of paper. Logan rose in the meantime, straightening his shirt out and rolling his neck.

"Ok… that should do it… Let's go." Peter said, walking out the door followed closely behind his mutant friend.

The hunt was on.

--------------

"Ayeka! Stand down!" boomed the voice of an aged and wise individual.

Ayeka glanced to the side, noting her brother's stern look of disapproval.

"B-but brother! This man is an illegal alien! This is Juraian property; he has no right to be here!"

"Wait a sec…" Ranma muttered… "Brother?"

"She's trying to marry her great nephew!" Ryoko stated from behind Ranma.

Ranma blanched and gazed in horror at the purple haired beauty in front of him, unsure of what to make of her.

"Shut up! Y-you violent, uncouth harridan!!" Ayeka shouted as her face colored deep rouge. "My relationship with Tenchi-sama is none of his concern! I think it's just your jealousy speaking!" Ayeka yelled, smiling as she saw Ryoko flinch.

The room was blanketed in a silence, everyone realizing that the last comment Ayeka had made was quite low.

Ranma glanced between Ryoko and Ayeka and snorted. "You're kidding me!? You're bragging about having a wuss like that?"

"Hey…" Tenchi mumbled, sighing as he knew arguing it at this point was futile.

"Worse," Ranma continued, turning to Ryoko. "Is that you are actually jealous of a guy like that. He couldn't save you if your life depended on it."

Ryoko growled, his barb stinging deep and hitting home. "Take. That. Back."

Ranma snorted, his arrogance overriding common sense and he was oblivious to just how deeply Ryoko did feel for the boy. He raised his arms behind his head and turned his back to her.

Ryoko let an inhuman growl reverberate through her throat, and a small tingle grew in the back of Ranma's head.

You seem to have a knack for angering others. Kao stated with a hint of annoyance in his echoed voice.

'Old news.' Ranma thought as he leaned backwards, bending his body at an angle that a limbo champion would envy as a blast of red energy soared above his head, the heat wafting over his face before it propelled forward and hit Ayeka square in the chest, sending her flying through the wall.

He rose again, his feet staying planted to the ground as he lifted up, as if they had been stuck there with some sort of adhesive. He turned to face Ryoko, his face devoid of all humor and he looked into her face for a moment before…

Pulling his eyelid down and sticking out his tongue. "Bidaaa!"

At first there was no reaction, but then Ryoko snarled, immediately igniting a sphere of energy and expanding it into the blade Ranma had seen earlier. Ranma however, had yet to see the effects of the blade when applied to human flesh, thus was fairly sure he should avoid any contact with it until he could study it further.

Thus, when Ryoko charged forward, floating through the air and a large snarl coming from her throat, Ranma leapt backwards before she could even start her swing, flying back and hitting the top of the wall where it intersected with the ceiling and stuck his legs and one of his hands for support on the wall, while the other stayed in front in a defensive position.

The aliens present gawked at the boy who had just leapt an impressive distance back, and now was clinging to the wall as if his hand and feet were covered in some sort of crazy glue.

"Well that's a dandy trick." A very soft voice said from Ranma's left. He turned and looked to see a very short and petite redhead, whose hair stuck out in every direction, reminding Ranma of Ryoko for a moment. She had a mischievous smirk on her lips, which Ranma all but knew from Nabiki. One that said "Oh goody! Fresh meat!" Needless to say, it didn't make him feel any more comfortable.

Ryoko growled, and glared at the newcomer, who Ranma vaguely remembered from his last trip to the shrine. "Washu what are you doing here!?"

"I live here." Washu deadpanned, giving her daughter a half-lidded stare which caused Ryoko to blink and her energy sword to sputter out of existence.

Washu meandered over to where Ranma was still adhering to the wall and looked up at him. Ranma got the sense that this girl wasn't just some other girl; the way she looked at him was rather un-childish. Ranma had several guesses at this point. Having figured out that most people at the shrine were not human, he could at least assume that. From there, he had no idea what to expect from the girl. Several… less favorable ideas ran through his head and he shuddered.

If only he knew, he would be gone already.

The girl was inspecting his feet and hands, as if searching for the method by which he clung to the wall. Ranma, disliking being observed like some sort of experiment (of course, he didn't realize what that look really looked like, but would find out soon enough.) and dropped down from the wall, landing silently on his feet and looking around at everyone in the room.

"So then, ready to tell us just what you are?" Washu asked, smiling innocently.

"He's human Washu." Ryoko stated, giving Ranma a less than pleased glance. "But what he's wearing isn't."

"Oh?" Washu asked, turning back to Ranma and getting a bit too close for comfort, gazing intently at his clothes, as if searching for some movement or something similar. Of course, all she could see was fabric. Turning back to Ryoko, Washu gave her daughter a disbelieving look. "Truly the clothes?"

"You know… I could answer you…" Ranma said rather curtly, glaring at Ryoko, who simply smirked.

Washu turned back to Ranma and raised a brow before nodding and saying. "Very well then, please enlighten us....?" Washu said, the last part trailing off into an inquiry that too Ranma a moment to decipher as to what she was getting at.

"Oh! Uh, Ranma. My name is Ranma." Washu stared at him for a moment and nodded.

"And you were going to tell us about your… unique abilities?"

Ranma stared dumbly at her for a moment, blinked before recognition dawned on his face. "Oh! Right. Uh… well… it started a few weeks ago I suppose when I was in a fight with a friend of mine…what happened next was just… well, weird. After the fight I was on the rooftops minding my own business and…" Ranma looked around and found that he was quickly losing the interest of most everyone there and it seemed they wanted to take matters into their own hands. "Uhm… why don't I just show you then…"

Ranma closed his eyes and took a deep breath concentrating for a moment. At first there was no real change, and the residents of the Masaki household exchanged looks, while Ryoko watched on, still upset with Ranma, but couldn't help but look in fascination at the change.

After a second or so, the changes began to truly show. The wrinkles on the clothes had slowly shrunk, indicating that his clothes were shrinking and getting tighter on his body. Soon they looked to be actually squeezing his body they were so tight, and the people present got a good look at his figure, the clothes leaving little to the imagination. Next the ties on his shirt seemed to melt away, the bright yellow color of the wooden and cloth pegs fading into the red of the shirt. The seam on the front of the shirt molded into one another, creating a shirt that was simply red and tight as spandex. His pants tightened too, and the hem of the loose black pants poured into the red shirt, spilling an inky black color up into the skintight shirt and swirling chaotically and unpredictably. The red from the shirt too flowed downwards into the dark pants, which now fit him like a second skin. The swirling chaos of the outfit began to flow around his skin, crawling ever further down his arms and enveloped his hands, the fingers extending into sharp claws. The suit also flowed down, seemingly consuming his slippers, which flowed back into the main part of the suit, disappearing altogether as the abstract fluid like substance covered his feet completely. Once his entire body was covered the thick substance of a deep blood red and pure black crawled up his neck, and Ranma unconsciously took a breath, still not completely used to his mouth being covered by Kao. Tendrils of the suit began to form around his body, rising and falling randomly, as if they were some sort of solar flare and Ranma was the sun. The seemed to defy gravity, rising and falling freely around his body, forming random shapes in the air and often just appearing to be some sort of sludge that was constantly reshaping itself in the air as it flowed around him before rejoining with his body. The suit continued to climb up, covering his mouth and nose in one fell swoop. The members of the Masaki residence watched in fascinated horror as his jaw seemed to grow longer and thinner at the bottom, before a mouth appeared to rip itself open, jagged and pointy inky black teeth jutting out from the red abyss that was his mouth. As it finally covered the rest of his head, consuming his scalp and all of his hair, pools of white appeared where his eyes normally would exist, swirling and stretching out upwards into a pattern that seemed similar to flames, giving his eyes a large and chaotic appearance. The lack of pupils made it so that they couldn't tell where exactly he was looking, and one could only guess.

The transformation finally finished and Ranma turned and looked around at the people who had just witnessed his change, judging their reactions silently in his mind. The one Ryoko had called Washu was taking it well… almost too well. She was smiling giddily and bouncing from foot to foot, something that reminded Ranma of some sort of demented dance. The drool from her lip didn't really make him feel any better as well.

Ryoko appeared fascinated still, and gave him a look that said "We need to talk" and not in a good way. Ranma resigned that he probably shouldn't have insulted the boy she liked like that, but he did feel she needed to move on, he had seen girls like that at Furinkan, and knew that moving on would be best.

Tenchi looked scared shitless. Ranma wanted to laugh; he really did, but reserved that for a later date to rub it in his face. Of course, Ranma couldn't really blame Tenchi. He had seen quite a bit in his life, and knew that even with everything he had seen, the suit would unnerve him. Not scare him mind you, just unnerve.

The old guy's face was emotionless, not displaying an ounce of any sort of emotion. Ranma found this odd and knew that he had to be more than just some old guy. First he moved far too fast for any regular person, and now he didn't seem phased by the suit at all. 'Must be an alien thing…' Ranma thought, to which Kao agreed, his voice resigned.

The blonde haired woman with an amazing tan that Ranma hadn't seen before had tears in her eyes, and only seemed to be holding back out of fear for what he might do. Ranma felt kind of bad.

He then turned to the final member present, Sasami, and winced. She had a horrified and shocked expression on her face that made Ranma immediately regret showing the suit in it's entirety.

'Kao! Take the suit off of my face!' Ranma thought quickly, feeling awful about making the girl so frightened.

How so Host Ranma? Kao asked.

'I dunno just… make it like a collar or something, just get rid of the face!' Ranma hurriedly thought, hoping to salvage his relationship with Sasami before it went tumbling down a glacier like a lost ski.

The suit altered again before their eyes, splitting open at his head and peeling down his body, halting just below his head and encompassing his neck completely in a large collar look.

Sasami immediately looked relieved and smiled back at Ranma, who had given her a reassuring smile and a wink.

"S-simply amazing! It's appears to be some sort of enhancing uniform that seems similar to the Masu, of course more tests will be needed to be done to find out it's true specifications, but by what I have seen-" Washu was interrupted by Ranma clearing his throat, and she looked up at him in wonder.

"Uh, Kao says he's not a uniform." Ranma stated, wondering why Kao wanted him to point that out.

"Kao?" Washu inquired.

Ryoko drifted over and pointed at the suit. "Yup. Seems this Kao thing isn't a suit he is inside of Ranma as well. Or something like that." She stated, shrugging carelessly.

"So this "Kao" is a-" Washu was once again cut off by Ranma, which she quickly found to be getting annoying and decided to herself that Ranma needed a lesson in manners… but that would come later.

"Symbiote." Ranma said, only repeating what Kao himself had stated and not really knowing what the word really meant.

"Outstanding! That means that even with the loss of the visible parts of this being, you still gain all of its benefits, allowing that there are benefits of having "Kao" in you."

"Uh…" Ranma started, smiling meekly and rubbing the back of his head. "There is a couple."

Washu nodded and appeared more excited than Ryoko had seen her in a long time. "So then… you are human, but your super human strength and sticking to walls must be something that he passed on to you then?" Washu asked, seeing if her assumptions were correct.

"Well… define super-human…" Ranma muttered twiddling his thumbs uncomfortably.

"You should just have Kao come out and explain it himself. Herself. Itself. Whatever." Ryoko said, confusing herself.

"He can… 'come out?'" Washu asked again, getting more and more excited by the minute.

"Well, as long as… uhm, it is connected to me, yeah, he can create his own body and stuff… but uh…" Ranma glanced at Sasami and laughed weakly. "The suit seemed to scare Sasami, and Kao chooses to look like that most of the time and-" This time it was Ranma who was cut off, but not by any of the Masaki residents.

I can alter myself to be more acceptable, Host Ranma. Kao's ghostly voice stated and Ranma nodded.

"Yeah! That'd be great Kao!" Ranma shouted happily.

Washu blinked. "Kao just spoke to you?"

Ranma blinked and nodded. "Uh… yeah, he can like, you know… speak in my head or something."

Ranma swore he heard Kao sigh in defeat, but decided he was hearing things.

"But uh… I dunno, I think he might scare little Sasami there…" Ranma said, glancing apologetically to the short blue haired girl with vibrant pink eyes. She pouted at being called little, but blushed in embarrassment and nodded in thanks when Ranma indicated that she was afraid of the suit that had just engulfed his body.

I can alter my appearance so that it is less frightening, for her sake. If that would be acceptable, Host Ranma.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, why don't you do that… you can explain this better than I could…"

Washu exchanged a look with Ryoko, who nodded to her, reassuring that this wasn't some joke.

From Ranma's feet, a black pool formed that looked to be a pure black shadow, and it slithered across the rice paper mats, sliding into place along side Ranma before slowly bubbling upward into shape. As if someone had been pouring red and black goop into a human shaped mold, the figure slowly grew into a distinctly humanoid shape, and a very well built one at that. The face this time however was different, and instead of jagged and erratic teeth, the mouth was very similar to a standard one, the only real difference being the fact that it was red and black. The eyes were no longer elongated and resembled a flame. They now were simply ovular.

Sasami smiled; relieved that it was no longer as scary as it had been, and though it still looked chaotic and unnatural, but she knew that she could handle this better than the other form.

Washu just stared at the new construct, her eyes neutral, with an underlying twinkle of excitement visible.

"Everyone…" Ranma started, glancing over to his newest partner in crime. "Meet Kao."

Ayeka popped her face up, the flesh marred with dirt from the ground and pieces of grass scattered occasionally. "You! You vio- viole…" Ayeka trailed off and stared at Kao, her mouth hanging open.

"So you don't know where he went?" Logan growled, picking the mousey owner of the bar up off of his feet.

"H-Honest! They just disappeared! You saw them! Please I don't know anything!" The barkeep pleaded, a light sheen appearing in his eyes, indicating he was ready to cry.

Logan set the man down roughly and turned to Peter. "He doesn't know…" Logan muttered in English so that Peter could understand. Peter frowned and sighed.

"That was our only lead too…"

"Not quite…" Logan said, smirking dangerously that made Peter uneasy. "I have a couple connections with the police around here, they owe me a favor or two, and I might be able to get this Ranma's address or something."

Peter nodded. "Yeah, that'd work… maybe figure out more about his background, where he's from, family and such.

Logan nodded back, agreeing completely. It did seem like the best course of action for the time being, until they could come up with something better.

"To the station it is." Logan said, and the pair set off down the busy streets of Tokyo, looking for the nearest police box. The streets were fairly empty for Tokyo, people already at work, allowing Peter and Logan an easier time navigating the maze of pavement and pedestrians, Logan pausing once in a while to ask for directions.

Once they reached an area that was less crowded Logan turned to Peter and quietly asked: "You brought your costume right?"

Peter was slightly surprised at the question, but nodded and pulled his shirt down slightly, revealing the bright red and blue of his Spider-Man outfit. "Yeah, why?"

"Just in case we get in a fight…" Logan said. "I might need yer help."

Peter noticed that Logan said this begrudgingly, and knew that it hurt his pride to ask for his help, and nodded quietly. He had fought the unknown mutant once, and had yet to really see the full extent of his abilities. He knew that he could take Venom out, which Peter could do, though not easily. However the mutant seemed to almost be enjoying himself as he had pummeled Venom. A frightening aspect indeed. And even scarier yet was that he didn't exactly know what the mutant power was. He assumed super strength, but he had simply vanished after Peter had knocked out, and so invisibility was on the line as well. The bruise he had seen on Logan was certainly an eye opener, to be able to cause that much damage to Logan of all people was quite a feat, and he must have dealt a lot of damage in a short amount of time to Logan's gut.

They arrived only moments later to a small police box on the sidewalk. Logan, while not a very religious person prayed that someone he knew was in the box, and nearly shouted in happiness as he saw an old buddy of his. His friend had aged, wrinkles and sagging showing on his face. His hair was graying and he was slightly hunched over, his back giving in to age.

"Hey! Takahiro!" Logan shouted in Japanese, startling the officer within the box.

"Can I help you sir…?" Takahiro replied, looking confused as to why the foreigner knew his name.

"You don't recognize me? It's Logan!" Logan said, smiling as recognition dawned on Takahiro's face.

"Logan! By god you haven't aged a bit! The years sure have been nice to you!" Takahiro happily exclaimed, causing Logan to smile weakly and chuckle.

"How's it going? Haven't seen you for what…?"

"'bout 25 years…" Takahiro stated, smiling as his eyes went dull as he reviewed old times. "What are you doing here Logan? I thought you moved back to the States?"

Logan nodded. "I did, but I am here on business… speaking of which, I got a favor to ask…"

Takahiro immediately got more serious. "Anything! As long as it's within reason of course."

"I need some information on someone, a Ranma Saotome…" Logan said, almost sneering in remembrance to the cocky little punk's speech.

Takahiro immediately locked up and looked at Logan. "What is your business with Mr. Saotome?"

Logan raised a brow at his reaction. "He work for the police or somethin'?"

Takahiro chuckled and shook his head. "Thank god no. That kids a disaster zone, ask anyone who knows him and they'll tell ya. Trouble follows him like lambs to the slaughter. He's helped out occasionally, usually does more harm than good though. Not really his fault with the mess he's in…" Takahiro shook his head. "Weird stuff always happens around him too, strange and inhuman… I swear those Nerimans are getting stranger every day…"

"Nerimans? As in Nerima, the district?" Logan inquired.

Takahiro nodded. "You best stay away from there, the police have found its better that way. Some people like to live there, never a dull moment. Carpenters are filthy rich, what with all the rebuilding. Bunch a whackos always fighting and causing damage and your man is always at the center of it all."

"So he's a trouble maker." Logan said.

"Nah… I met him once, he's not the type to purposely mess things up, it just… happens you know? Extremely bad luck or something. On the other hand he is one of the luckiest guys I know, he's got women chasing him from here to China and back."

"Sounds like a pervert."

"It would seem that way, but he's actually a bit of a prude from what I hear. Anyway, what business you got with Ranma?"

"I got a score to settle." Logan honestly answered, and was surprised when Takahiro shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"Not a good idea, Logan." Before Logan could ask why, he continued. "Look…" Takahiro glanced about to see if anyone was watching before continuing. "Now, don't quote me on any of this but even you are gonna have a hard time in Nerima Logan. I've only witnessed a couple of their fights, but I have heard stories that are downright scary. People creating tornado's with their fists. Shooting balls of energy at each other, jumping 5 stories easily, lifting lampposts and weights that weigh several tons with ease, rocks blowing up with just the touch from a finger… The list goes on… People visit Nerima to see this stuff all the time; it's what funds the repairs for the town, all the tourists. Only people who love an action packed life would live there. Walk away Logan, walk away."

Logan and Peter exchanged looks, wondering why they had not heard of this sooner.

"Which way to Nerima?" Logan asked.

Kao sighed. Or wanted to at least, he couldn't exactly do that in front of the people who graciously accepted them into their home. As such, Kao turned around to where Ayeka was sitting on the ground and held out his hand to help her up. ."I am bio-amplifier Kao-Soldier enhancer number 132, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Miss…?" Kao ended with a question, wondering what her name was. Of course, he had heard it earlier, but the less they knew of him and his abilities he felt was the better.

"A-Ayeka." the purple haired woman muttered, slowly reaching for the hand and almost shrieking when the amorphous hand seemed to slide around her skin a bit before she was pulled up into the home. She suppressed any urge to scream and attack the thing, knowing it wouldn't be very diplomatic. She did however retract her hands from the liquid grip of Kao as soon as she could.

Kao however, already had what he needed.

"So you're the one making him so powerful…" Washu asked, a small smirk on her lips and a gleam in her eye as she finally met the being that she had been agonizing over for the past few days."

Kao was about to respond in the affirmative, but slowly a mischievous idea entered it's mind. Ranma had been showing him off; even if it wasn't on purpose Kao didn't much appreciate the publicity. He decided it was time for some payback.

"Not entirely true. At the time when I bonded with host Ranma, he could already exert nearly 17 tons of force and his punches could travel several hundred miles per hour. He had a deep understanding of the energies his body naturally produced and could harness them effectively, though not to the full extent they can be used."

All eyes turned to Ranma, who just stared at Kao, disbelief in his eyes. Kao thought it was because Ranma was upset because he wanted no one to know about his abilities, in fact, the opposite was true. Ranma cared not who knew about how strong or fast he was his curse was the thing that he truly did not want people to know about. The truth was, he couldn't believe the statistics that Kao put out. He knew he was good, but Ranma seriously doubted he could put out 17 tons of force… that was just inhuman.

"Of course, he couldn't put out that much force for very long…" Kao stated, looking through Ranma's thoughts. "But with the proper conditions, Ranma could put that out easily, possibly more if enough adrenaline was released."

Ranma just continued to stare at Kao, ignoring the eyes he could feel roaming his body. The information hit him like a ton of bricks, and Ranma felt like more of his humanity slipped from his fingers, like one trying to hold sand in their fingers.

"Ranma…" Washu began, breaking Ranma from his reverie. "If you don't mind… I would like to do some tests, to verify if what… Kao said is true." She knew that he was shocked from his reactions to Kao's speech, about what she didn't know, but knew that trying to force him to do something right now wouldn't be good idea. If he was as powerful as this 'Kao' being stated, then making him do something that he did not agree to do and would not necessarily like to do was not a good idea, but she still wanted to get some examining done, nothing serious, just some basic tests and examination to see what she could find.

Ranma looked at the girl, unsure of what to do. She seemed far too young to be able to examine him, but then, Ranma didn't know if aliens aged differently. Maybe she was some sort of race of child genius aliens… or something. Ranma looked to Kao, who seemed indifferent to whatever his host decided.

"Y-yeah… I guess I could do that…" Ranma muttered, still shaken from Kao's statement.

Washu cheered internally and smiled broadly and reassuringly. "Please follow me!" She chirped and turned, skipping down the hall to her lab.

Ranma watched the skipping girl and turned to Kao, a worried expression on his face. Kao did a very small shrug before his body began to melt into the ground and the pool on the floor slid back into Ranma, who walked off after the redheaded girl and into the door she walked into.

The occupants of the room glanced at each other before hastily following after Ranma and Washu.

Now, Ranma had been in the lab once before, but didn't truly have time to examine anything he had seen or appreciate how large it really was.

He let out a low whistle and followed Washu automatically, taking in the various sights before him. The lab was, without a doubt in his mind, enormous in every sense of the word. Various tubes and cages held all sorts of creatures he had never ever seen before, and wasn't really surprised to see the various creatures that were not of Earth origin, considering that his hosts were not either. The machinery too seemed far beyond the ones Ranma had seen here on earth.

"Just over here." Washu said, and they arrived at a clearing with a metal examining table in the center. "Please, lie down."

Ranma looked nervously at the table and back at the little redhead. "Uh. Are you sure you are uhm… certified to do this?"

Washu looked up from the desk she had walked behind with several consoles and screens on it and up at Ranma. A small smirk graced her cute lips and she nodded. "Of course Ranma… It may not look it, but I am much older than I look…"

Ranma nodded. "Thought so… just… you know, thought I'd check…" He said as he walked forward and laid back on the cold surface, breathing deeply, not knowing what to expect.

"Would it be more comfortable if I looked like this?" Ranma turned and saw the redhead approaching in a nurse outfit. However, a drastic change had taken place. The woman was now far older in appearance. From looking no older than nine or ten, she had gone to a knockout of perhaps 25 years of age. Her hourglass figure and brazen eyes made Ranma cough and sit up.

"Woah!" He shouted, eyes roaming over her new body.

Astounding… such abilities would be amazingly useful, combined with your curse, you would never have to look alike, the perfect disguise… Kao's voice stated, drifting through Ranma's head.

Ranma barely heard Kao, as he was too busy with the knockout of a woman in front of him.

Washu leaned down to get face to face with her new subject, and it was only then that Ranma realized that the top two buttons of her blouse were undone, leaving little to the imagination. Ranma swallowed unconsciously and began sweating, he was used to such blatant displays, but he was more afraid of the pain that was caused because of them. A small poke came from his arm and Ranma muttered "Ow…" And turned to see what it was. A syringe was in the woman's hand, and slowly pulling an amount of his blood out of him.

"Forgive me, I just find it easier to do when my patients are distracted…" Washu said, removing the needle from his body and taking the sample back behind the desk and placing it in a container which immediately lit up and began to tilt off axis and spinning about.

Ranma couldn't help but smile weakly at the woman. Though he didn't appreciate the sudden blood draw, he did appreciate her honesty in the reason. Washu looked up at the boy and was surprised to see him smiling. She smiled back softly, glad that at least he wasn't complaining.

The others the entered the room, and looked about at Ranma sitting on the table and Washu behind the desk looking at some information. And typing furiously, her fingers quickly tapping away at the holographic keys being displayed. The went over to where Washu was and looked over her shoulder on the screen where a display was showing a double helix that traditionally represented a human's genetic structure. Numbers and statistics flashed by too quickly for others to read, but Washu caught it all, her eyes widening and furrowing on several different occasions.

"Ranma, please lay back…" Washu said, and Ranma complied wordlessly, deciding that just following orders would do him best for the moment being. From the ceiling a machine descended, which was rather large and several metallic tentacles slithered out and had some sort of ocular device on the end of them, and each tentacle took a different limb and began to scan over it slowly and precisely.

"Just a scan Ranma, nothing painful, just lay and relax." Washu said.

"Didn't you scan over him already when he was knocked out…?" Katsuhito asked, raising a brow to Washu's words.

"The scan I performed earlier was very basic Yosho-dono. This is going to be a full scan, and should give me every detail about the structure and components of his body." Washu stated, continuing to type and assimilate information as it passed by on the screen at blinding speed without missing a beat. "Astounding…" Washu murmured, attracting the attention of the others.

"What is it…?" Katsuhito asked, and Washu shook her head, indicating that now wasn't the time.

Ranma lay still as he could be, allowing the mechanical tentacles to survey every inch of his body, leaving nothing unchecked.

Was this the best course of action Host Ranma? Kao inquired, his voice sliding through Ranma's mind like liquid silk. To let them scan you like this I mean.

Ranma sighed gently, trying to stay still while doing so. 'I dunno Kao… But… is it true, what you said back there? About… what I could do?' He thought, letting Kao soak up the words.

It is, I didn't think that it was new information to you, I thought that you knew of the extent of your abilities.

'I knew I was strong…' Ranma thought, blinking as a tentacle slithered over his face and flashed brightly, causing his vision to be filled with bright spots for several moments. '… but I… I just didn't know…'

Evidence I have gathered suggests that you did not use your strength to its full capabilities. One example of your strength would be after it returned to you from the moxibustion point. You were used to trying to punch with all of your strength, and so when it returned and they threw the cement wheel at you, you crushed it with ease.

Ranma remembered like it was yesterday. He was so ecstatic about his strength returning, that he had simply crushed the wheel with every ounce of his strength. 'But… I wasn't that strong then… was I?' Ranma asked of the voice in his mind.

No, at that point you had around 7 tons of force output, if what I can gather from your memories is correct. However, you had much more training and adventure after that, and your strength grew past what a normal human should have been limited to.

'… Normal human?' Ranma asked, noting what Kao said as the scan seemed to be nearly over, and his conversation was coming to an end.

I… I am not sure I have the time to go into detail right now… As if a prediction, the tentacles suddenly slithered back into the hub that hung above Ranma. I will tell you later, for now, concentrate on Washu's wishes.

"Thank you very much Ranma-kun. Now if you'll please follow me again, I only have several more tests to take… for now."

"What was that last part Washu?" Ranma asked as he swung his legs over the side of the table and stood up, following after the redhead in the tight fitting nurse outfit.

"Hm? Oh, nothing to worry your cute little head about. Oh, and Ranma…" Washu began, turning around to face Ranma.

Ranma paused in time as to not walk straight into the buxom girl and looked into her face. "Hm?"

"Call me Washu-chan!"

The taxi pulled up on the outskirts of the district and their driver turned around. "This is as far as I can take ya… it's a liability to go any further…" The cab driver said, to which Logan grunted and pulled out some money, shoving it roughly into the driver's greedy hand before he and Peter exited and looked out into the district they had been directed to.

"Doesn't look too bad…" Peter said appearing very unimpressed.

Logan looked at him, his eyes silently agreeing with Peter's words as they began to hike into town, destination unknown, and only a name to go on.

Ranma Saotome.

It took only several minutes for them to get into the actual district, and from what either saw; it was a completely normal place to be. None of the things that the police officer had said seemed to be true, and it left Peter and Logan wondering if he was exaggerating a little.

The people seemed to carry on as any average person did, walking into crowded markets, purchasing some food and leaving, or entering some other shop and buying some knickknack or another and then leaving. All seemed in place, all seemed well.

"Maybe the officer was wrong…?" Peter supplied, to which Logan shrugged and continued. It certainly seemed possible, the place seemed as normal as any other places Logan has been. He needed to find out where to find this punk though, and he had yet to see any sort of police box or something, so the next solution was to ask someone on the street.

"Excuse me… miss?" Logan asked, switching to Japanese.

The older woman he asked paused and looked up at the foreign man. "Yes, how can I help you?"

"Can you tell me where a Ranma Saotome lives?" Logan asked kindly, knowing that better results would be reaped if he appeared kinder.

It was like a shockwave, rippling down the street and Logan was at the center. Everyone just froze and looked at him, fear or accusing looks in their eyes.

The old woman appeared to be shocked, but regained her composure. "W-What business do you have with Ranma…?" The woman asked of Logan, her eyes glaring accusingly.

Logan was baffled as the woman said the name so familiarly. "Look lady, he and I just have some unfinished business and-"

:Logan was cut off by the woman, who appeared to be getting angry. "Unfinished business indeed! Ranma is a saint! To think why hooligans like you and all those others who are after him is beyond me. He may cause some damage here and there, but he has done far too much good for your petty revenge to be of importance. Hmph!" With that, the lady stuck her nose in the air and walked off, surprisingly, much to the agreement of the clapping crowd, who gave both Logan and Peter dirty looks.

"That worked out nicely…" Peter deadpanned, seeing that they were now public enemy number one.

"Uh, excuse me sugar…" A soft and high pitched voice asked of Logan from behind him. "You say you were lookin' for Ran-chan?"

Logan raised a brow at the brunette. She was dressed rather manly, but Logan could easily smell the feminity on the girl "Yeah…" He began, looking her over. She wore a blue chef's suit, her hair back in a large ponytail, and a bandolier of small spatula's were draped across her chest, and one enormous one was draped across her back. "We're looking for him, you know him?"

Ukyo gave the foreigner a menacing glare. "What business you got with my Ran-chan…?"

Peter raised a brow at the possessive streak that just came on and spoke up before Logan could get them in further trouble. "We uh, we just need to talk to him, nothing serious…"

Ukyo glanced at the meek, freckled covered Gaijin and blinked.

Peter looked at her before sighing. "Forgot that this isn't New York…"

Logan glanced at the downtrodden web-slinger and translated, to which Ukyo nodded and looked them over, before smiling. "Well, if that's all that it is you guys can follow me. You might be a bit disappointed but, I can at least help ya out a bit."

"Disappointed…? Why?" Asked Logan of the boyish girl that had began to lead them down the street, He absently noted that the crowds were clearing a way for them automatically, as if this sort of thing happened all the time.

"Ran-chan moved out to Tokyo a few days ago, ya just missed him. I can take ya to where he used to live though." The woman replied, still guiding them down the streets.

Logan turned to Peter and translated. Peter nodded. "Figures… just our luck… at least we might find something back at his old home though."

Logan looked skeptical but nodded and continued nonetheless. "So, how exactly do you know Ranma?" Logan asked of the girl, who turned back to look at him.

"Me? I'm his cute fiancée, Ukyo."

Logan paused for a moment. "Cute fiancée?"

Ukyo looked back at Logan as if he was the odd one here. "For wanting to see Ranma you sure don't know a lot about him. He has a couple of other fiancées, but I am the cute one."

"Sounds like a womanizer." Logan said.

"Hardly… I wish he was sometimes though, then I might actually get a little something…" Ukyo muttered.

Logan looked at the girl, who he guessed to be no older than 20 and shook his head in disbelief. This Ranma guy sounded like quite a lucky fellow.

"Well, here it is… I gotta talk to Akane anyway so this worked out for both of us!" Ukyo happily said, entering the compound. Logan looked down at the sign which said "Tendo Dojo", and then the sign that appeared recently added just beneath that. "To challenge Ranma Saotome to brutal combat use the rear door."

Logan looked around and began to walk around the complex, looking for the rear door the sign spoke of. Peter grabbed Logan before he could venture far and pulled him back to the front door.

"I know you want revenge, but this time, we're doing it my way." Peter whispered harshly as the approached the door.

Logan grumbled as Peter knocked at the door, and both waited patiently as footsteps slowly approached the door and opened it. A kind looking woman who appeared to be the mother of the household answered the door and looked at the two foreign men.

"Can I help you?" Kasumi asked.

"Please go on in there." Washu said, pointing back to the chamber behind her and then she turned around and sat again at a desk that looked nearly identical to the one that Ranma had seen at the examining table.

He looked to the chamber, and found it appearing quite normal, the only thing that resided within it was a punching bag that had some alien (he assumed) markings on it. The walls were pure white, the kind of white only found in hospitals, and Ranma was slightly put off by that. One wall however had windows that he could see in through, and let the occupant of the chamber look out to see the desk as well. The second he took a step into the chamber, the door sealed shut with an automated hiss.

An intercom clicked on, and Washu's voice reverberated through the room. "Ranma-kun, please punch the bag as you would normally." Ranma turned and nodded to Washu, indicating that he heard her, though it wasn't really necessary.

Ranma just performed a light jab into the bag and it swung back a little, before rocking forward again.

Washu typed on the computer, quickly storing away the files to examine thoroughly later before clicking the speaker on and speaking again. "Now as hard as you can please Ranma."

Ranma blinked and turned to Washu, the punching bag slowly drifting to a halt in front of him. "Uhm… well, that kinda depends… Kao makes me stronger, so like… with, or without Kao?"

Washu looked at Ranma for a moment before answering. "First without…. Then let's try it with."

Already done Ranma… Kao said before Ranma could ask for Kao to stop augmenting his strength.

Ranma nodded in thanks, though Kao wasn't anywhere to be seen and got into a stance, taking a deep breath as he did so. He rarely punched with everything he had, and found that he preferred to give lots of lighter punches that made his foe gradually weaken and get sore quickly. The risks were often too high for trying to knock a foe out in one blow.

But this time Ranma did indeed deliver as his fast collided with the punching bag at dizzying speeds and even more amazing force. The bag swung back heavily, nearly reaching the ceiling before descending again, and Ranma had to leap to the side as the bag swung past, nearly colliding with him. As it began to swing past him again he grabbed it and held it until the momentum had drained from the bag and it was at rest.

Washu only caught glimpses of the information she would review later, and swelled with excitement at the flashes of information she caught. "Now with Kao please Ranma…" Washu said, barely restraining her excitement and keeping composed.

Ranma felt his muscles suddenly tingle with newfound power and he knew that Kao had begun to assist again without his telling him to do so. He cracked his neck several times, quickly growing bored with these experiments that Washu was doing, but decided to continue. For now at least.

He prepared himself and swung once more at the bag, and this time it did swing up and reach the ceiling, creating a loud "thud!" as it impacted with the alien material before swinging back down.

Washu's eyes widened considerably and only Katsuhito noticed, the others too intent on watching Ranma himself. He would have to talk to Washu later about the results.

"Now try punching it your fastest Ranma." Washu's voice said over the intercom.

Ranma sighed and reluctantly grabbed the bag to slow it down, bored out of his mind.

Washu saw this and a debate was being held in her mind. She desperately wanted these tests done, a human with such a potential was simply astounding, and if she predicted, might possibly match a Juraian as they evolve. Not in technology, but in the sheer power of a single man.

On the other hand, she did not want to make Ranma feel uncomfortable or unwelcome for several reasons. The first was that she could see that he was not enjoying himself, and while she could continue, a willing participant is always better than one who isn't. That, and the fact that Ryoko seemed to take a liking to the boy, or at least it seemed that way from what she pulled over the link. She found that Ryoko was interested, and did enjoy his company in general, but there were moments when the exact opposite was true. Most of the time, the former was the case however.

"This will be the last test for today Ranma." Washu said, receiving a bright smile from Ranma that made her smile in return.

Ranma nodded and bounced from heel to heel, preparing to perform a technique he did just that same morning. "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma shouted, and his fist blurred forward into the punching bag.

Ryoko furrowed her brow as recognition dawned from the words he had spoken. It was the same words he had uttered earlier against that man with the claws. Now the punches were faster and his fist was blurred, but it wasn't anything she couldn't match… was he really just that slow? Maybe she had overestimated his abilities…

Washu's eyes lit up as the recordings of the impacts against the bag were fed back to her through the computer, information flashing at a blinding rate.

"For how strong he is he sure isn't that fast…" Ryoko muttered, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Washu shook her head, the action caught by all present. "Hardly, I doubt anyone here, even you Yosho-dono, could match this… the rate at which he is punching is beyond anything I have seen from any race, human or otherwise."

"Eh!?" Ryoko blanched, floating over to see what on earth Washu was talking about.

"Let me play that sequence again for you…" Washu said, fiddling with some controls and starting the feed again. The gathered residence of the Masaki household watched his fists impact the bag at nearly the same speed as before, when they watched Ranma perform it for them.

"Doesn't look faster…" Tenchi said, receiving nods of agreement around.

"I know. What's baffling is that this is playing at 1/500th the normal speed. For every one punch that we saw him do out there, somewhere around 500 were actually performed. His arms were moving too fast for us to follow, giving the illusion of one punch."

"Uh, Washu?" Ranma said, startling the group from there stunned looks as they watched the screen. The gathered group looked up to see Ranma standing, his hand behind his head tugging at his pigtail in a very cute manner and a sheepish grin on his face. Beside him, the punching bag was limp, hanging like a deflated balloon, and then they realized that metallic looking grains of some substance had spilled forth from a large rip in the bag, creating a small dune on the floor beside Ranma. "I kinda ripped the bag…" Ranma muttered, very embarrassed.

Washu's lip twitched and a line of drool began to slide from her mouth and down her chin.

"Wait a second…" Logan mumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was currently leaning against a wooden pillar in the Tendo home, the gathered family sitting around the table in the room along with Peter and Ukyo. "You're telling me that this kid has how many fiancée's?"

"Official or otherwise?" Nabiki drawled, not too keen on leaking information on Ranma. Ever since he left and she had admitted to him her feelings, she had been keeping her vault of information on him kept rather tight. It would cost a pretty penny for anyone to gather information on Ranma, she would be sure of that.

"Otherwise." Logan said.

Nabiki quickly held out a hand. "5,000,000 yen."

Logan sputtered and looked at the girl as if she had gone mad.

"Nabiki!" Akane admonished, shaking her head in disgust. "I'm sorry Logan-san, but we don't really know. His father here, Genma, engaged him to so many girls he lost count… around 10 have come this way and eventually given up… the only official ones here anymore are myself and Ukyo… there is another girl in Nerima who is engaged by Chinese Amazon law, and another who just thinks she is engaged to him.

Logan felt a headache coming on, which is surprising, considering his healing abilities should stop that before it even starts. He turned to Peter and quickly translated the important bits, watching as Peter's face screwed in confusion.

"Logan-san, why are you looking for Ranma?"

Logan glanced at Peter and made sure that he couldn't understand anything before continuing in Japanese. "I got a score to settle with the punk."

Kasumi immediately got up and retired to the kitchen, emerging again not a moment later and handed him a clipboard and a pen.

Logan raised a brow and looked down at the clipboard, only becoming even more wierded out by what it said. "Vengeance Quests Against Ranma" Followed after the title was a neat table filled in by various names followed by reasons for being angry at the intrepid pigtailed hero of our story.

"Uh…" Logan muttered looking at the various reasons for vengeance and realizing that his wasn't really nearly as bad as some of the others.

"So Logan-san…" Kasumi asked, a very sweet tone to her voice. "Why exactly do you want to kill Ranma-kun?"

Logan looked up at the girl who had asked him with honey dripping from her voice and his resolve crumbled. He wouldn't kill the kid. Maybe just maim him a bit. "Forget it… my reason ain't nothing compared to some of these… cept maybe this one… bread feud… hmm..."

"Then you dropped your vengeance quest against Ranma? That's wonderful!" Kasumi blankly stated, though she did appear honestly happy.

Logan grunted and shook his head. "Yeah… no problem… but that ain't why we are really here." Logan said, giving in to Peter's idea and trying to talk to them and acquire information. "My… friend and I, we have reason to believe that Ranma is a mutant."

Logan did not expect a positive reaction from the information, knowing that mutants were not accepted very well in the world.

Akane blinked and turned to Nabiki. "I dunno, I guess it's possible… do you think he is a mutant Nabiki?"

Nabiki turned to Akane and shook her head. "No, I thought he was a long time ago and asked Dr. Tofu about it, his genes show no evidence of mutation."

The news was rather surprising to Logan, who was sure that Ranma had some sort of mutation in order for him to be that strong or fast.

"Ranma is… different Logan-san." Akane said, continuing before Logan could speak. "I know, everyone is different and all that... but Ranma is even more so…" Akane took a moment to reflect on the past before continuing once more. "He… he is able to do things that none can even dream of doing… he just, he's one of those guys you read about in novels ya know…? The guy who, even with all of his faults tends to shine through… I guess… I guess that's why we won't let go of him." Akane said, glancing to Ukyo and blushing. Ukyo nodded softly, a smile on her face as she took in what Akane said.

Nabiki couldn't hold it back anymore. All throughout her sister's speech, she had slowly begun to crumble. She quickly excused herself, heading quickly upstairs to her room where she closed and locked the door. Her feet slowly carried her to her desk and she slid open a drawer, looking at the book held within. She had long since found out where Ranma was staying and had wanted to call him… but found her self unable to do so. The temptation now however was far worse than she had ever felt, and she found her hand reaching for the phone, despite not remembering telling herself to do so. She watched, as if through a dream as her body dialed the numbers and raised the phone up to her ear and listened as the tone sounded in her ear.

"Hello? Can I help you?" A female voice came from the other end, and instantly Nabiki felt a wave of jealousy wash over her.

"Uhm, hello, but is there a Ranma Saotome there?" Nabiki asked, trying to sound as professional as possible.

"Why yes, but he is out right now, can I leave a message?" The woman kindly asked.

"Yes… tell him Nabiki Tendo called, and that it was urgent." She said before abruptly hanging the phone up, sighing heavily. God did she miss that boy.

Ranma sighed happily, glad to be out of that place. He idly dug around in his mouth, picking morsels out from between his teeth after the delicious lunch Sasami had just served them.

"Wow Sasami! You're such a great cook! Man, whoever gets with you is gonna be one lucky guy!" Ranma proclaimed, a broad grin on his face.

Sasami blushed heavily and twisted the apron she wore around in her hands. "Ah… Thanks Ranma-niisan."

Ranma idly wondered when she started calling him that, and why he didn't really care.

The others gathered around the table exchanged grim looks, now knowing that there was someone with worse manners than Ryoko, and that fact horrified them to no end.

"Well…" Ranma said, standing up. "I better get going." He smiled warmly at his hosts and continued. "Thanks for having me and well… not attacking me like last time." He said, laughing and rubbing the back of his head.

"NO! YOU CAN'T!" Washu shouted, rising to her feet and diving at Ranma, clinging to him like her life depended on it.

Ranma quickly raised his hands up. "Not touching! Not touching!"

Katsuhito, Tenchi, Ayeka, Sasami, Mihoshi, and Ryoko collectively blinked and watched with a hint of fear in her eyes as Washu stayed latched on to the fine specimen she had found, not letting her fingers budge an inch. Ranma in the meantime was trying to shake the small girl off of his leg, to no avail.

"Uh, Washu-chan… couldn't you just set your lab up at his place?" Tenchi so helpfully suggested with an evil glint to his smile. If this Ranma fellow was going to insult him so openly, Tenchi was at least kind enough to repay the favor.

"You can do that!?" Ranma shouted, immediately getting quite a bit more worried.

Washu's grin was an answer enough. "Well then, Ryoko what are you waiting for?" Washu hastily asked, unlatching herself from Ranma's leg "Let's get outta here!"

Ryoko blanched and stood up, glaring at her mother. "Wait just one second, don't I get a say in this!?"

"Of course not." Washu said, looking at Ryoko as if she was crazy. "When did you ever get a say in anything?"

Ryoko's glared at her mother and walked over to her and Ranma, glancing back at Tenchi and giving him a weak smile and waving before grabbing a hold of Ranma's arm, who had just gotten up, and her mother's, and fading from view.

Katsuhito released a breath he hadn't known he was holding as he continued to watch the area that Ranma had phased away from. Human indeed…

Ranma reappeared in his apartment along with Ryoko and Washu by his side and looked rather sick. "Ugh… I am never gonna get used to that."

Ryoko smirked and leaned close to Ranma. "Aw? Is the teleporting too much for you?"

Ranma gave her a sideways glance and brushed by her, disregarding the comment.

"Smooth…" Was all Washu said as she followed after Ranma, leaving Ryoko alone.

"So Ranma-kun, do you know a place where I can set my lab up?" Washu asked kindly of Ranma as he walked into his room, as if searching for something.

"Uh… Maybe the closet… I really don't think you're going to have enough room though..." Washu was way ahead of him and already digging around in the closet, tossing out Ranma's meager material possessions before reaching into a hole that seemed to just appear at her side and pulling out a large, alien object, before ducking back in.

Ranma sighed as Washu got started setting up her lab, right in his room. "So much for privacy…"

Just outside the door, the landlord paused as she heard voices through the door. Odd, she saw Ranma leave, but never saw him come back in… She remembered quickly of the message she was passed on and decided that there was no better time than the present and knocked on his door.

Ranma quickly answered the door and looked out to see his petite but lovely landlord, Sakura standing there with a large smile on her face. "Got company?" She asked, trying to peer around him.

"Er… Yeah." Ranma said, moving to block her view, but Sakura had already seen enough. Her heart sank a bit as she realized that he was in his apartment with a girl, but brightened up almost just as quick.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that you have a message. It's from a Nabiki Tendo, she says it's urgent." Sakura said, watching the emotions play over his face. First surprise, then confusion and finally fear.

"Thanks." Ranma muttered, contemplating the meaning of the message as he closed the door on Sakura, not even realizing she seemed to want to continue the talk and walking back into the apartment, taking a seat on his couch.

"What was that about?" Ryoko asked, floating beside Ranma and being a nuisance in general, as always.

"My fiancée's sister called me earlier… she said it was urgent." Ranma said.

Washu dashed into the room, her eyes wide. "Fiancée!?"

Ranma and Ryoko simultaneously blinked and Ranma slowly nodded. "Uh, yeah… I am engaged…"

Washu shot a worried look at Ryoko, and saw her angrily staring back at her. She took a deep breath to calm herself before smiling and waving. "Well, you learn something every day… bye!" She returned to Ranma's room, but not before giving Ryoko a look that said "GO FOR IT GIRL!"

Ryoko glowered at her mother's inconsiderate nature. She still was Tenchi's, no one could replace him. Ranma was a jerk anyways. Chauvinistic, rude, stupid, strong, kind, funny… Ryoko sighed suddenly, causing Ranma to raise an eyebrow.

"You ok?"

Ryoko shook herself from her thoughts and nodded quickly, a slight blush filling her cheeks.

Ranma looked at her for a moment, as if studying her before turning away. Why did girls always act this way around him? He stood up soon after, turning to Ryoko. "Look, I gotta go check out what's going on, it'd prolly be good for me to check in with everyone anyway, see how pops is doin and-"

Ranma was suddenly cut off by a short red-head bounding into the room. "I'm coming!" She shouted. Any chance to see the parents of Ranma was a plus in Washu's book.

Ranma blinked and turned to Ryoko. "I guess you're coming too, right? Ya gotta watch over me and all that?"

Ryoko nodded professionally, and Washu snickered at her daughter.

"Come on then, may as well get one of the early trains…" Ranma muttered, wondering how much this was going to cost him.

They arrived early evening, the blue sky fading into a golden yellow and flaming orange which was painted across the sky in such glorious colors that only Mother Nature herself could be the artist of this canvas. The sun was still peaking over the hills in the distance, the last of it's honey colored warmth washing over the district and making each building look as if it's glowing.

"Nice town." Ryoko said, looking about curiously.

Ranma grunted in response, to which Ryoko and Washu assumed was an affirmative, but were left guessing as Ranma said no more. "Hey guys, I gotta way to get there quickly… but uh, could you carry Washu or something Ryoko?"

Washu immediately stepped up to Ranma and jumped onto him, his arms instinctively catching the young-looking woman. "I'd rather go with you… Ranma" The way that his name had rolled off of her tongue made him shudder involuntarily. It sounded far too adult, far too sensual for how she looked. He swallowed a lump in his throat as Washu snuggled close to his chest, drawing circles with her finger.

Ryoko fumed and she didn't know why.

"U-uh… Try and keep up with me Ryoko…" Ranma said. Ryoko was about to snort in response and tell him where he could shove it, but before she could speak he had already launched off of the platform they were on, drifting down to a building and leaping quickly off of that one, proceeding like that down the golden hued buildings.

Ryoko just watched in awe and then noticed that people around her started talking excitedly about how Ranma was back. She became thoroughly confused because of this, and suddenly realized that Ranma was now just a small figure in the distance. She quickly drifted up and darted after him, trying to match his erratic movements and speed.

Washu, for her part, was having the time of her life. She had flown before of course, but the fact that she was being carried did add a certain thrill, and every time they dropped down to a building a fear built up of, "What if he falls down?" But each time his feet landed true and he bounded up again, over several roofs at a time before descending once more.

Ryoko caught up soon after she chased after him, flying being a much quicker and more efficient way to travel, and immediately noticed the look on Washu's face. She looked like a giddy girl on some carnival ride. Jealousy rose up within her and she forced it down as soon as it had risen up. Damnit, she liked Tenchi!

Ranma suddenly stopped, his feet landing as light as ever on a one story building. Across the street a very traditional and old looking house stood, rather large compared to most houses these days. A tall wall of about 3 meters stood around it, and a large gate indicated the entrance to the complex. A sign out front said in large letters: "Tendo Dojo" And another sign, which was poorly tacked on, stated "To challenge Ranma Saotome to brutal combat please use the rear door."

Ryoko shot Ranma a curious glance, and he just shrugged and laughed weakly.

Ranma leapt once more onto the roof of the complex, his feet planting firm on the sloped tile roof and Ryoko followed close behind. From above, they could hear someone talking below them, but the voices were muffled.

Ranma shrugged and assumed it was just one of Akane's friends or some such thing, and stepped carelessly over the edge of the roof and down into the backyard. Washu once again felt her stomach rise and she smiled giddily. Ryoko followed, phasing through a part of the roof lazily and landing beside Ranma.

Ranma set the woman in his arms down, turning around to see who was home. He blinked as he realized several things. There were two foreign men in the house. One of the men Ranma remembered from just that very morning, where they had a small quarrel on the street. The other seemed familiar, but couldn't place a name to the face.

"You!" Logan shouted angrily, his claws extending in rage.

Ranma blinked.

Long chapter ne? Sorry I kept you all waiting after the last King of Storms update, I wasn't close to being done with this chapter and only just finished it up. I am pretty pleased with it, I think it's my largest update to date, so enjoy it. Some of you prolly thought that some things were OOC or some such thing but I feel it is at this point when the characters from their respective anime or comics will begin to diverge. It happens in all fics eventually…and now was the time. Any questions, comments or praises can be sent to me via e-mail (in my profile or on the main page of my website) or by simply writing a review.

Next chapter: Enter Magneto

Ja Na, and review please! -Gundraw


	10. Chapter of the Tenth

"Blah" Spoken Word, Japanese or English, figure it out.

Blah Usually Kao Talking but may also be telepathy.

Chapter 10: Enter Magneto

"You!" Logan growled, his claws extending in rage.

Ranma blinked.

More than one girl in the Tendo residence shouted in worry for Ranma after seeing the man they had been entertaining sprout a set of wicked claws on each hand and charge towards their love.

With lightning quick reflexes that had been honed to nigh perfection, Ranma let his body flow into a more suited position to defend against the incoming attack and prepared to dodge to the side and counter-attack.

But as Logan grew closer and Ranma prepared to commence his strategy, an astounding phenomena occurred. Odd circles of light captured the wrists and ankles of the clawed mutant and restrained him, a mere few feet from Ranma's position.

Ranma blinked, confused at first but turned and saw Washu smiling mischievously. She turned to him and gave him a little smirk, to which Ranma smiled weakly at.

"My Ranma, you surround yourself with such interesting people!" Washu exclaimed, dashing over to the restrained mutant and inspecting his claws closely, tracing them with her fingers and up to his hand and studying the bone structure. "You're a goldmine for a scientist like me!"

At this point the people inside the house had just realized that Ranma had not come alone, and in fact had brought what appeared to be a seven to eight year old girl who had a rather odd hairstyle and regarded Ranma with a familiarity that a few of the women did not appreciate. As they were about to initiate the interrogation which Ranma already knew was coming, another girl, one who appeared much older and had a rather revealing (in their minds) outfit on with the wildest greenish-blue hair in a style that matched the red-headed girls floated down from the roof and beside Ranma, placing her arm on his shoulder and leaning on him in a friendly fashion. "Looks like he found you… or rather we did."

"Ano… Ryoko…" Ranma began, pushing her arm off of his shoulder with a nervous laugh before turning to her and his face losing any humor it might have held and spoke in a low whisper. "Cut it out!" Ryoko just frowned and rolled her eyes, wondering why he was so uptight.

"Let me go you little brat!" Logan shouted, struggling against his bonds of light that were restraining him in mid-air.

Washu clicked her tongue condescendingly as she walked to the front of the rather gruff and uncouth man, a disappointed look twinkling in her eye. "Now that's no way to talk to your elders is it?"

Logan snarled and growled at the little girl that had somehow tied him up. "I'm a lot older than I look girl…"

Washu, completely unimpressed shrugged. "As am I."

Peter, who was watching from within beside the girls who had suddenly started glowing, decided to intervene at that point with an intelligent question. "What is going on here?"

"That's what I'd like to know…" Akane stated, a slight grind in her teeth.

"Me too sugar." Agreed Ukyo, who looked no happier than Akane.

Ranma instantly put up warding gestures with his hands and laughed nervously, much to the surprise of both Peter and Logan. It seemed the so-called ladies man was whipped, who would have guessed. "Uh, Washu? Can you let the guy down first?" Ranma asked, an almost pleading hint in his voice but he would have denied it later, Ranma Saotome never begs.

Washu pouted before complying, pressing a button on her watch and causing the restraints to fizzle out of existence and drop the floating figure of Logan from the air rather unceremoniously onto the terra firma below. "You're no fun" Washu stated with an upset voice. "But you can make it up to me Ranma-chan!"

As the girls inside pondered the meaning of that statement and coming to several false conclusions, Logan rose to his feet, glaring at the redhead rather harshly before turning to Ranma and raising a finger to eye level, pointing accusingly at the teen. "You and me got some unfinished business…"

Peter coughed from behind Logan and rose, walking to stand beside Logan and spoke with a much more easy going voice. "Look, we don't want any trouble; we just have a few questions alright?"

Ranma looked to the newcomer, recognizing the voice vaguely but unable to place it at the moment. Filing it away in his mind to think about later, Ranma nodded, although skeptically. "Ok…"

"But first I think you should introduce your guests Ranma…" A somewhat angry voice stated, and the murmurs of agreement echoed the statement.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ranma turned to Akane, who looked none to pleased he noticed, and realized just how big his audience was when noting that Ukyo, Nabiki and the rest of the Tendo family had gathered to hear Ranma's response.

"Ah! Excuse us for being so rude." Washu stated, stepping forward and smiling quite cutely. "This is my daughter Ryoko, and I am Washu, the greatest scientist in the universe!" At this, a small, holographic puppet like figure appeared on each of her shoulders, bearing a close resemblance to Washu herself, holding signs that said "Washu is the greatest!" and "Hooray Washu!"

Ranma's groan broke the silence that had inhabited the room after Washu's display.

"But you can call me Washu-chan!"

"D-Daughter? But you're like, twelve!" Akane stuttered, looking between the two aliens with a rather horrified expression. "And she looks… like, 30 or something!"

"Wait just one damn minute!" Ryoko shouted, a large scowl gracing her lovely face. "Whaddya mean I look 30?" Ryoko prided herself on looking young and maintaining her beauty.

"I was going to see around 34 actually…" Ukyo said, to which the rest of the Tendo family muttered agreements and their own estimates.

The part Masu female gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly, her false gems glowing with her rage.

"Ryoko… calm down." Washu stated tersely. Ryoko grumbled out several obscenities beneath her breath and the gems slowly lost their energy.

Though unseen, the gathered females that had been commenting about the girl released a breath they had been holding.

"Greatest Scientist in the Universe eh?" Logan said with no small amount of mirth in his voice. "What makes you say that?" He knew many scientists, human and otherwise and sincerely doubted this little girl knew as much as they did.

Washu smiled happily and answered the man as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why, after living for a couple thousand years and exploring the known galaxies of course!"

A stunned silence filled the Tendo compound, and was interrupted by Nabiki finally turning to Ranma and speaking. "How do you do it Saotome?"

Ranma didn't really understand the question, so he just shrugged.

Logan's eyebrow rose to a peak on his rugged face, signaling his disbelief, before turning to Peter and telling him what she had said.

Peter too shared this belief that the girl was simply stating something she had made up or was from a game, but to his surprise one of the women behind him spoke up and stated the opposite of what Logan and had said.

"Oh? That's really cool!" Ukyo said, smiling happily. Just how many galaxies are there?"

Logan turned and gave an incredulous look to the brown haired chef and made sure he heard clearly.

"Oh only several dozen… the other universes however, that's a different story." Washu stated knowledgably.

"There's more than one universe?" Akane shouted, looking disbelieving.

Logan paused to catch peter up to the events that were taking place, from what Washu had stated to everything the others had said as well.

"Wait a minute!" Peter finally shouted, looking around as if everyone had gone crazy. "You believe she's over a thousand years old and has seen every galaxy in this infinite universe, but NOT that there are other universes? What is with you people?"

Of course, only several of the residents knew English well enough to translate, though his sudden outburst did attract a lot of attention.

"Who are you anyway?" Ranma asked in his native language, making others quietly ask the same.

Peter saw that everyone was staring at him after their target had spoke and turned to Logan for an explanation.

"They're wonderin' who you are." Logan stated in English

Peter blinked, not really having expected being asked that and immediately realized that he was now the center of attention, and grew rather flustered. "Oh uh… tell them that I'm a reporter or something, here for the story on Ranma."

Logan did so, but most of the people could already translate it as English was taught in the high school.

"I didn't realize that Ranma's feats were known well enough to even reach the media in the States, I figured they were busy with their own heroes or whatever." Nabiki said curiously, switching over to English for the time being so she could be understood.

"Yeah, I mean Ran-chan has been around for a while, I wonder why no one else has come before." Ukyo confirmed in agreement with the middle Tendo sister.

"Uh, it takes a while for news to trickle over to America?" Peter said, though it sounded like he questioning himself more than stating a fact. Nabiki picked up on this but said nothing, curious as to where this was leading.

"So if you don't mind…" Logan interrupted. "We got some questions for ya."

Ranma shrugged. "Sure, shoot."

Logan glanced around at the gathered company and looked back to Ranma. "You got somewhere a bit more… private?"

Blinking several times before looking around at everyone, he really didn't know where to go that was really "private" as little went on that Nabiki wasn't aware of.

"You guys can head into the dojo if you want." Nabiki stated, quickly covering for Ranma before he said something that she would make regret.

He glanced at Nabiki and saw her looking at him with a "don't ask questions" look and decided that it was against his better judgment to do so. So knowing, Ranma said: "Come on, this way." And hopped up onto the floor of the compound, then gesturing for the two gaijin to follow, which they did.

As the group left, the Tendo's, Genma, and Ukyo turned to Ryoko and Washu and stared for several seconds before Kasumi broke the awkward silence. "Would you two like some tea?"

Washu nodded and smiled. "That'd hit the spot! What was your name again?"

"Oh my, how rude of me, my name is Kasumi Tendo, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Washu immediately liked the kind young woman, though if anyone was asked they would agree it was very difficult not to like the somewhat oblivious but otherwise angelic Kasumi.

"I suppose it is long overdue time for introductions…" Nabiki stated. "I'm Nabiki, and this is Akane." She said, signaling to herself and then to Akane. "We're Kasumi's sisters."

Akane nodded and a soft smile graced her face. "Please come in."

Ryoko needed no further invitation and floated inside, making herself comfortable. Though it wasn't the weirdest thing they had seen, the casual disregard for her powers surprised the people gathered, sans Washu of course. Who, on the other hand had stepped up onto the wood and bowed deeply and thanked them for their hospitality.

Nabiki continued, pointing to her father. "This is our daddy, Soun."

Soun bowed and smiled. "Hello."

"And over here in the white gi is Ranma's dad, Genma." Genma, who had remained rather quiet up until that point rather awkwardly bowed, unfamiliar with the social situation. The moment he was announced Washu's eyes locked on him, disregarding everyone else and focusing her sole attentions on him. At first he had thought it was because he was announced, but as time went on and her gaze did not avert he began to think it was something else entirely…

"And my name's Ukyo Kuonji, nice to meet you both." Ukyo said, smiling to hopefully set a good impression.

Washu bowed to each as they were introduced, and only tore her eyes from Genma when they were all finished and it was time to reiterate. "Well as I said, my name is Washu Habuki, and this is my daughter…"

"Ryoko." The cyan haired beauty said from her place floating above the table.

"It's a pleasure to meet the friends of Ranma!" Washu said sincerely.

"Speaking of..." Nabiki said, immediately launching into a question. "How did you two meet him?

"I met him at his job…" Ryoko said, immediately receiving several incredulous stares from the people.

"Ranma has a job?" Akane asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Ryoko blinked, not realizing the significance of something like that and nodded. "Yeah, he works at a bar in downtown Tokyo… seems like a sweet gig since the bar didn't seem too popular."

"Bartender eh?" Ukyo said, a soft smile emerging on her lips.

"Mhm.. and then after seeing him… 'dispose' of some thugs, I knew that there was more to him than there seemed so I took him to Washu." She said.

"That's correct. Our first meeting didn't really go well…" Washu stated, recalling the escape he had made with a heavy sigh.

"I don't think any of Ranchan's first meetings go too well…" Ukyo said, recalling her own time with the pig-tailed boy.

The two present Tendo sisters muttered agreement darkly.

"Well, anyway, after that was all cleared up, we got to meet him and took interest in him and his potential to the human race." Washu said.

"So you two really are…?" Akane began, and Washu nodded and answered before she could finish.

"Yes, we aren't from Earth if that's what you mean."

Ukyo smiled and turned somewhat giddy. "Wow, real aliens! I mean, I've seen some really weird stuff, but I never thought that aliens really existed!"

"You know…" Ryoko said with a half-lidded stare. "To us, you're the aliens."

Ukyo stuttered and smiled meekly. "Yeah, I guess so…"

In the dojo

Ranma lead the two strangers into the dojo, unconcerned of any threat they may present, sure he could counter whatever they had planned. "So, whatcha guys want to know?" Ranma asked in English, figuring it would be easier to talk in a language they both could understand.

Logan and Peter exchanged a quick glance before Peter started, knowing that if Logan ran the show nothing good would come. "Well, let me begin by saying that I saw you at the bank robbery the other day…"

Ranma stared for a moment. "Bank robbery…?"

"You know… the other day? When those guys in the weird costumes showed up, the big guy in the black one and the other one in the red and blue…?" Peter elaborated.

"Oh yeah!" Ranma said, punching his palm in realization. "What of it?"

"Well uh, it's not often that anyone takes out Venom that quickly…"

"Venom?"

"The guy in the black suit. Anyway, there are very few who can do something like that so we just had some questions about your powers…" Peter said.

"Whaddya mean powers?" Ranma asked, growing confused.

Peter sighed and explained again. "At the bank you moved fast. Like, really fast, inhumanely fast! So, is your power super speed or something?"

"Oh you mean the Kachu Tenshin Amagriken?" Ranma asked. "That's not a power, it's a technique."

That peaked Logan's interest. "Technique? Like what kind of technique?"

"Martial Arts, it's an Amazon technique the ol' mummy taught me."

Logan seemed surprised. "Martial Arts? I have heard of stuff like that but I figured it was all legend…"

Ranma waved it off. "Nah, it's all real, the amazons have some pretty nifty techniques."

"Wait, you're saying that this… Katsu Tenshi Amaburi-whatever gives you super speed?"

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken." Ranma said, correcting the gaijin with a half-lidded stare. "And I dunno about super speed, I mean there were faster people that me, like Mint, man that guys fast… but uh yeah it made me a lot faster."

"How good at martial arts do you have to be to learn this technique?" Logan asked.

"Well first you gotta be friends with the Amazon's, and actually finding em is another story. Then you gotta be… I dunno, maybe third degree black belt?"

One of Logan's brows rose. "What rank are you then?"

"Well… I'm not really ranked anymore, I've already surpassed all the other masters that I've challenged, and most won't even attempt to challenge me anymore, they know I'm in a league in my own." Ranma said happily, petting his own ego.

"You're telling me that you've beaten the masters around the world?" Logan asked, clarifying what Ranma had said.

"Yeah most of em, I went on a training trip with my pops since I was about 5 or so, and only stopped two years ago… we went around the world and trained and he got me to challenge all the masters of the art and stuff… the ones that I haven't challenged won't even accept anymore because they heard about what happened to the other guys." Ranma actually pouted a bit at that, he had always wanted to defeat all of them just so he can officially claim the title of the best.

"So, how do you rate yourself?" Peter asked. He wasn't sure what the significance of defeating all these masters was, but he gathered it was something special.

Ranma snorted. "I'm the best of course."

Logan grinned and saw an opportunity. "Want to prove that?"

Ranma looked to the Canadian fellow and shrugged. "I already beat you remember? You were spewing in the gutter."

Logan grit his teeth in silent anger at the response, and before he could retaliate Peter interrupted.

"Anyway, uh, are you a mutant Ranma?" He had already been answered but figured it safer to ask the person in question.

"Mutant?" Ranma asked, and looked down at himself. "What you mean like toxic waste shit? Like growing tentacles and all that?"

Logan only grit his teeth further, silently thanking his adamantine covered skeletal structure so that the teeth would not shatter. "What he means kid is whether you have an active mutant gene in you or not…" His claws slowly emerged from beneath his flesh, puncturing their fleshy container and emerging.

"Woah! Those are pretty cool man, where'd you get em?" Ranma asked, looking down at the claws. It was like Mousse did, but beneath the skin! Hell it was pretty damn spiffy.

Might I remind you that I could do the same at any moment Host Ranma? Kao interjected, making himself known for the first time. Such acts are relatively simple and hardly impressive.

'Yeah but I mean, well… never mind.' Ranma thought, the coolness factor of the claws deflating a bit.

"You there kid?" Logan asked, shaking Ranma from his temporary stupor.

"Oh uh, yeah. So how'd you get those anyway?"

"I didn't ask for em if that's what you mean, they were… assigned to me I suppose you could say." Logan muttered darkly.

Ranma noted he hit a sore spot, but the curiosity over rid the fact that it was rude to press the subject. "So, why were they… assigned or whatever to you?"

As subtle as a trainwreck Host Ranma. Kao muttered.

"Cause of my mutant power." Logan said, now grinning however. The claws retraced back into his fist and Ranma watched as the skin resealed itself in mere seconds.

"Woah!" Ranma said, his eyes widening. "That's really cool! I knew you healed fast cause of that fight we had but, that's really nifty! I mean, a couple seconds to reseal an open gash? That must come in handy."

Though Kao said nothing, Ranma had no doubt that the symbiotic creature was interested in this ability.

Logan smiled at the youth for the first time, and realized that he was dealing with a teenager, despite his skills and how dangerous he was, the kid was still… well, a kid.

"Do you have any powers like that though Ranma, innate abilities that make you different?" Peter asked.

"What's innate mean?"

Peter nearly collapsed, but managed to remain upright. "Uhm like, natural… you were born with them."

Ranma thought for a moment before shrugging. "Nope."

Peter and Logan exchanged glances again.

"So, how much longer is this gonna take? I gotta get back to Tokyo and the train takes an hour or so to get near where I live and I still gotta talk to Nabiki…" Ranma asked, now well and bored.

"You got anything else?" Peter asked of Logan. Though they had no definitive answer, they had been told multiple times that Ranma was indeed not a mutant, though his own explanation seemed rather absurd. They'd have to regroup later and figure out what to do.

"Nah.. I got nothing…" Logan said, giving the pig-tailed boy another once over, still rather surprised that this was the same kid he had been fighting only a day earlier. Of course, he'd make the kid pay for it later, but at the moment he still needed to talk to Chuck about a few things.

"Alrighty then!" Ranma exclaimed as he brushed by them. "You guys know the way out right?" At their nod, he smiled and exited. "See ya later then!" With that, the boy walked out and into the home, out of line of sight.

"You believe him?" Peter asked.

"No reason not to, the kid didn't seem like the type to just lie… lemme talk to Chuck real quick…" Logan said, pulling out his cell phone to make a quick call. Peter made the connection from Chuck to Professor Xavier and waited for Logan to finish up.

"Heya Chuck?"

"Yes, Logan?" The calm voice of the professor answered from the other end of the line.

"We just got done talking to this 'Ranma' kid, from what he and his friends know, he isn't a mutant, but me and Spidey here still got our doubts." No doubt Professor Xavier knew who Spider-Man really was, but Logan knew Peter liked to keep his secret identity… well, secret. He and only a handful of others knew, but that was too many already in Peter's opinion.

"I… see. You have no proof of this however?"

"Right."

"I think I'll send Beast over to run a couple of tests… this boy is truly an enigma Logan, and we must press our advantage over Magneto while we can, no doubt he will find that the boy could be beneficial to his cause." Logan nodded to himself and responded.

"Ok then, when will he be coming?"

"I'll send him in the Black Hawk with Gambit, just in case… Be wary Logan, I dislike the situation. The boy is still up for grabs as it were in this war we wage… it would not do to have him slip into Magneto's hands."

"I gotcha Chuck… tell Beast to call me when he gets here, bye."

"Well?" Peter asked.

"He's sending Beast and Gambit over to do some tests on the kid, we just gotta persuade him to come along now…"

In the Tendo living room, some handful of minutes earlier.

"So wait, you're telling us that Earth is actually owned by an alien race?" Akane asked.

Washu nodded as she sipped at her tea. "The Juraian empire to be exact, an intergalactic empire spanning several galaxies and easily one of the most powerful races in the universe."

"What like Star Wars?" Ukyo asked.

"What's Star Wars?" Ryoko responded.

Realizing that she was serious and looking to Washu and seeing the same blank look she waved the question off. "Forget it."

"Anyway, we are friends of the crown prince of this empire, and I generally like to survey the progress of the race." Washu explained. "Seeing what Ranma could do and hearing about it from Ryoko here, I just had to meet him and do a couple… tests. What I found was quite astounding! Would you believe that the amount of pheromones that boy releases is exponentially higher than the average male?"

"I'd believe it…" Ukyo muttered, blushing lightly,

"So how did you all meet Ranma anyway?" Washu inquired.

"Well, Ranchan is a friend from my childhood…" Ukyo responded, smiling. "He was my best friend and still is. I met him again a couple years ago after his father abandoned me after promising to take me on their training trip looking for revenge. I met Ranchan again and… " She blushed for a moment as she remembered the moment she fell in love all over again when he had called her cute. "Well, after finding out that his father had engaged us he-"

"Wait, engaged?" Washu asked.

Ukyo nodded. "I'm Ranchan's cute fiancée."

Ryoko floated over to Ukyo. "You say that like he has more than one."

"Because he does…" Nabiki sighed, explaining the situation for the second time today. As she told the two aliens of what the current count was they didn't seem too surprised at all.

"Well, I've heard of this in other cultures…" Washu said. "But never in earthlings…"

"That's cause it doesn't usually happen!" Akane shouted. "His stupid father engaged Ranma to everyone he came across for whatever they offered as a dowry."

Genma took this moment to try and defend himself, but the look from the gathered females quickly extinguished any argument he may have held.

"So… Ranma is a hot item I take it?" Washu asked.

"Oh yeah… Ranchan has quite a few girls chasing him daily, or at least he did before he moved…"

"It's hard sometimes…" Akane said. "I mean, having to compete with someone every day for a boy's affections, you have no idea how hard it is sometimes."

Ryoko remained quiet as Washu spoke. "You have no idea."

"Is anyone hungry?" Kasumi asked, emerging from the kitchen once more with the ever present serene smile on her face.

Ryoko perked up and nodded. "Yeah!"

The others looked to each other and agreement ran through the people that some food would be nice.

"Oh my, I'm not sure if we have enough for everyone… I think I'll just order out." Kasumi stated and left to place the order.

Footsteps padding along the floor alerted everyone to Ranma's arrival and he smiled at every gathered and gave a little wave. "Yo!"

"How'd it go Ranchan?" Ukyo asked, giving him her best smile.

"Meh, no biggie. Just wanted to know about the martial arts I practice and stuff. Anyway, I gotta outta there so I could talk to ya Nabiki, what was so urgent that you called me about?"

Ukyo and Akane froze and turned to Nabiki. "You knew his number?" They simultaneously shouted.

Nabiki silently cursed and put on her best smile. "Only the number of the apartments where he lives…"

"He has an apartment too? Where did you get the money for all this Ranma?" Akane asked, genuinely surprised.

Ranma shrugged. "I'd been saving for a while."

"Where are the apartments?" She continued.

"Oh it's right downtown, I got one a kilometer or so north of the imperial palace."

Akane and Ukyo gasped. "No way! That's right near where we're going to college!" Ukyo exclaimed. Now when she'd be going to college she could visit her Ranchan anytime she desired!

Ranma smiled rather meekly, knowing that it'd only cause trouble if she did go to meet him. He turned back to Nabiki to get an answer from his original question. "So anway, what was it that you were calling about Nabiki?"

The room adopted a pregnant pause as Nabiki looked into Ranma's eyes, the soft blue orbs she could get lost in gazing into her own deep brown ones before she ran forward and nearly tackled the boy, tears trailing from her eyes.

"Please don't leave again Ranma! I don't know if I could take it!" She sobbed, stunning the household.

"N-Nabiki!" Akane shouted. "Not you too!"

"I'm sorry Akane…" Nabiki whispered, tears still draining from her eyes. "I can't help it… I got so jealous watching him do everything for you, save you and help you… I just got so envious and I began to realize that… I really do… love you Ranma."

Ranma was frozen sold with a look of despair on his face.

Ukyo turned to the Habuki's and sighed. "Add another to the list."

"Please Ranma… I'll do anything, take me with you though! I need you, I couldn't stand being here without you…"

"Uh… Nabiki… I just… I would but I already have a couple roommates…"

Nabiki looked up with large, watery eyes and sniffled. "W-who?"

Ranma glanced to Ryoko and Washu. "Er… Them."

Another long pause took over the room.

"Well that's a little detail you left out!" Akane stated.

Washu smiled and shrugged.

"It's just a one room apartment anyway, I'm sleeping on the couch already and-"

"If space is the only problem I can take care of that." Washu said. She failed to realize the look of horror that Ranma's face twisted into. "I mean, I could add a few rooms onto the place if you really wouldn't mind if she'd move in…"

Nabiki smiled at the red-haired girl and nodded hastily. "I would! I'd do anything! Please, let me stay!" She begged once more, and Ranma's resolve crumbled.

"Er… I guess it's ok…" He muttered, his will all but broken.

"Hey, if it's ok if she does… is it ok if I do too Ranchan? I mean, you're so close to my school and if it's closer to you…"

"I'm moving in too then!" Akane proclaimed. "If they can there's no way you're leaving me here Ranma!"

"Where Akane moving to?" A new voice said as it bounded into view over the wall to the complex. It revealed to be a very buxom young girl in a scandoulsly short Chinese dress, with long purple hair reaching past her waist. She wore her hair down, except for two small balls atop her hall that were tied together with several bells hanging down by her ears. In her hands she balanced several square containers that had a simply delicious aroma drifting off of them.

It took her a moment, but once she had spotted a certain pig-tailed boy, she squealed in a high pitched shout of delight. "Aiyah! Airen come home!" She dashed forward and deposited the containers onto the table and gave Ranma her patented Amazonian glomp, once again nearly bowling over the boy and purred as she rubbed against his chest in a rather lewd display.

"I hope no one minds that I ordered ramen." Kasumi said from the doorway.

"She was just saying that she wanted to move in with 'lover boy' there." Ryoko said with a mirthful grin on her face.

"Akane move in with Airen? Not without Shampoo!"

Washu blinked and nodded. "Ok then, let's see here… Me and Ryoko, Nabiki, Akane, Ukyo, Shampoo and of course Ranma. Anyone else?"

Nothing.

"That's easily done." Washu said proudly. "With my prowess in subspace dimensions I can easily make a new little universe for everyone." She broke into a fit of cackling glee, causing everyone present to stare at her.

"Aiyah."

More footsteps came from the hallway and the two foreigners made themselves known again. "By the…way…"

Seeing Ranma now being nearly fondled by two young and rather beautiful women in the middle of the room caused them to gaze at the boy with questioning looks.

"Not a word." Ranma muttered.

Logan merely grinned.

Peter spoke up, unsure of how to word the question in the current situation. "Uh, we need a way to contact you, we got some more questions for later."

Nabiki looked back from the man to Ranma and sighed in defeat before leaving for a moment to write down the number to the apartment complex and handed it to him. "That should get you in contact with the people who own his apartment." She stated in accented, but passable English.

"Er… thanks." He replied, before grabbing Logan and exiting the room and building altogether.

"Still think the little punk's lucky." Logan muttered.

After several moments of more rubbing and purring from the Amazon, she extracted herself (albeit reluctantly) and sat down to get caught up to date on the events that have passed thus far.

"Aiyah! You are aliens?" She asked with wide eyes.

"You're the alien!" Ryoko shouted.

"Quiet big ear woman." Shampoo said. "Ask little girl, not you."

Ryoko silently fumed, but restrained herself from doing something that would make her look bad.

"Anyway… I better get goin…" Ranma said, much to the chagrin of the others present. "I bet it'll take a while for those new rooms to get made and all that so I shouldn't be wasting time here so-"

"Actually Ranma-chan…" Washu said. "It shouldn't take me more than a few minutes to set it up."

Ranma's open mouth flapped several times more before he sighed in defeat.

"I'll go get my things!" Nabiki said as she rushed off to pack.

"Wait for me!" Akane said as she rushed away with

"I better get packing too!" Ukyo said.

"But, what about the shop?" Ranma asked, seeing an opening.

Ukyo however waved it off. "I only really set that place up as a way to pass time, I have the money from my father to rent the place out. Besides, Konatsu will probably want to keep the place running."

Ranma's smile evaporated. "Oh yeah…"

"Shampoo go tell great grandmother good news and go pack too!" The bubbly amazon said. She blew Ranma a quick kiss goodbye and exited the same way she had entered, by means of jumping over the wall surrounding the area.

"Don't either of you two have something to say about this?" Ranma asked, turning to his father and Soun.

"Now son…" Genma began, appearing behind Ranma with his old friend. "There comes a time when every man must live with a large group of women and be surrounded by them."

Soun nodded wisely as Genma continued.

"Besides, this will bring you and Akane closer, so we can finally join the schools!"

"It's brilliant Saotome!" Soun agreed.

Ranma knocked both on the head and they both fell unconscious to the ground. "Idiots."

"And he's your father?" Washu asked.

"Sadly yes."

It took some time but soon the two Tendo daughters came back downstairs with several suitcases full of clothes and other things they thought they would need. They had no need to take everything as they did live close enough to make a trip back at any time they so desired. They waited for Ukyo and Shampoo as well, despite Ryoko complaining about how bored she was and Nabiki suggesting that they could just leave, Ranma's conscience wouldn't let him do something like that and so he waited with the girls for the other two to arrive, which they did and quite quickly considering how much time they had to prepare.

"Well daddy… you knew this day would come." Akane muttered, emberassed at her father's waterworks.

"Nabiki take care of your little sister ok…? Oh how I will miss you both!" Soun wailed as he gave them both a giant hug.

Ranma waited out front, carrying a majority of the luggage with a grimace. "How come I got stuck with all the stuff?"

Nabiki walked outside with Akane and smiled. "Because you're a gentleman and it's the proper thing to do. We all appreciate it you know that." She said and leaned forward to give Ranma a peck on the cheek.

Ranma blushed and said nothing more.

Akane was surprised at Ranma's acceptance of the kiss, for the only times she had ever really seen him accept a kiss willingly were… well, never.

Not to be outdone, Ukyo and Shampoo too leaned in on either side of him and kissed him as well, this time extending the kiss by several seconds before pulling away. The blush on his face deepened and he started walking before anything else could happen that would embarrass him. Akane silently fumed she wasn't given a chance but tried not to show it.

With the bags it took them a half hour or so before they made it to the train station and Nabiki was kind enough to pay for tickets for herself, Akane, Ryoko, Washu and Ranma. However, Ukyo and Shampoo were left to pay for themselves, and already a small rivalry had formed between them. They entered the train easily enough, only having trouble fitting all the bags through the door

They found the compartment they had all gotten together and Ranma carefully managed to place all the bags in the areas above and below the seats and then slumped down into a seat. As soon as he sat there was a mad rush to be the one who got to sit next to him, much pushing and shoving between Ukyo and Shampoo erupting as they tried to be the first next to him. As they fought however, Washu squeezed by their legs and jumped up onto the seat next to Ranma, making sure to cuddle up nice and close.

Seeing this, it became a mad race between Ukyo and Shampoo to get the only spot left, Shampoo managing to dart ahead in time to take the seat from Ukyo,who seemed pretty upset about it and squeezed in between Shampoo and the window.

Ryoko, Akane and Nabiki watched as the fight went on and rolled their eyes as they took the seat across from them. Nabiki didn't care because she had gotten what she wanted, she was going to live with him, without her or any parents around! Akane was just angry that the other two were once again going at it over him. And Ryoko had no idea why anyone would fight over a guy like that.

Ranma accepted his fate as the train started rolling, finally coming to terms with the fact that he'd be living in an apartment with six women no less and was currently being rubbed and coddled by a beautiful young woman and a very cute little girl who he had witnessed become a sex bomb.

Most men would envy you, Host Ranma. Kao's voice drifted into his head and Ranma rolled his eyes.

'Most men don't know the trouble that it is.' Ranma thought as he started to relax, the motion of the train feeling quite relaxing.

I am unsure on what those two men you met today are truly after Host Ranma.

'Meh, don't worry too much about it.' Ranma thought. 'Nothing that I can't handle.'

Overconfidence can be our end Host Ranma, I'd ask that you be more wary of what others ask of you.

Ranma sighed and conceded. 'Fine fine, I'll be a little more careful, ya happy?'

Don't be curt with me, I simply care about your well-being as my host and partner Host Ranma.

'I… I know. I'm sorry Kao, I'm just still… I dunno, kinda new and unsure about this whole thing still ya know? Like, I've never had anyone really care about my well being and all that.'

I understand Host Ranma, I just ask that you do not disregard my thoughts so readily.

'I gotcha Kao.' Ranma responded in his mind before looking out the window. The various buildings passing by produced a collage of colors that was a fantastic sight and a small smile grew on his face.

A small tingle in the back of his head suddenly started, slowly at first but soon spreading to a magnitude the likes of which he had never felt before.

"What the hell…" Ranma muttered as he felt it spread beyond the back of his head and soon all over his head.

"What's wrong Rancha-" Ukyo began, but was cut off as the train was brought to a deafining halt as the train went from full speed to a complete stop in less than a second.

Akane and Nabiki screamed as they went flying across the compartment and into Ranma's waiting arms, who had been ready to act the moment he felt the tingle.

Ryoko merely became intangible and let the train pass through her before drifting back into the room. She may not have been as ready as Ranma had been, but she was a trained fighter, and knew how to act in sudden situations such as this.

"You two ok?" Ranma asked, his gaze concerned for the two down in his arms.

Nabiki and Akane, though rather shaken nodded in disbelief. Ranma carefully set them down and turned to everyone beside him. "Are you all ok?" He asked. Shampoo and Ukyo shook their heads to clear the cobwebs but nodded. Ranma turned to Washu and saw her typing at some sort of holographic console, muttering some obscenities.

Despite the train having stopped, the tingle only grew stronger and stronger, and Ranma's eyes narrowed as he realized that he worst was not over.

"You girls stay here, I'm going to go check what's going on." He said and left before anyone could say a word.

"Ranma wait!" Akane called after him but it was too late. "Good luck…" She muttered under her breath.

Ranma ran down the isle, looking inside to make sure everyone was alright as he passed. As he ran towards the front of the train, he felt the danger sense that Kao had blessed him with start going out of control, nearly to the point of pain.

He gripped his head and swore loudly. "Damnit Kao! What's going on?"

I know not Host Ranma, though I sense something at the front of the train…

"Thought so…" Ranma muttered as he kept a hand on his head and ran faster, pushing past people who were running in the opposite direction.

A lump slowly grew in his throat as he ran, finding more and more people running in the opposite direction, some of them with very scared looks on their faces.

Then the train creaked unnaturally, as if under some sort of great strain, and then the people running started screaming and it was like trying to push past an immovable wall. It wasn't gonna happen. Ranma grunted as he was shoved aside by the horrified people and swore once more before turning to the window to his side and smashing it open with his elbow. In a surprising display, he squeezed himself out of the window and flipped himself up to the top of the train. He was only several cars away from the front of the train, and so when he emerged on top he immediately saw what the problem was.

A man was floating in front of the train, wearing a metallic looking suit of regal colors, reds and purples complimenting each other rather nicely, though that wasn't what Ranma noted.

It was the fact that his hand was raised, and the front of the train was bending and crumpling before him as he made simple gestures with his hand, seemingly bored as he did so.

On the ground in front of him were a group that looked only somewhat less dangerous, but still not people that you would usually get in an argument with.

One fit the definition of savage completely, his hair long and ragged, a solid blonde in color. He seemed to be wearing some sort of brownish suit with a ring fur around the neck that almost looked like more hair. His eyes were nearly a solid gold, and they very much resembled a predator of somesort but Ranma couldn't place exactly what.

Next was an enormous man, easily eight feet in height and wearing a reddish brown suit of armor that was completely enclosing his body. The helmet of which was a large dome made him look like some sort of machine more than a man. The muscles that the suit showed were massive and if they were real, than this man had the strength of a beast.

The third member of this little motley crew was a man wearing a blue body suit with pieces of some sort of silver metal around his neck. His gloves and boots too had this silverish metal like substance covering them, and he had a smooth helmet that covered his eyes but left his mouth and nose exposed. On his chest was a large, prominent "A" that was easily discerned.

The last member of the group was a female, who's skin was a pure, dark blue. Her hair was a wild red that matched Ranma's female sides own, and her eyes were that of a solid yellow, nearly glowing with some unknown power. She wore a very loose fitting white ensemble that only just covered her chest and drifted between her legs like a loin cloth.

"Ah…" The one in the red and purple finally said as Ranma finished surveying the people. His cape drifted elegantly in the soft breeze, fluttering behind him in a rather dramatic effect. "You must be this Ranma I've heard so much about." The deep baritone of the voice was like velvet with an underlying power that just couldn't be explained. Ranma realized it was akin to Herb's or Saffron's… like royalty that knew of it's own power and needed no reason to kill on a whim.

His helmet covered most of his head, only letting his eyes, nose and mouth into the open. He let his hand drop and as he did so the train that had been floating in the air and crumpled like a can too dropped, crashing loudly into the railway below. "Let me introduce myself… I am Magneto." He said, a soft smile growing. "And I have a proposition for you."

Nice little Christmas Present eh?

Well, the triumphant (somewhat) return of Gundraw. I realize that you all must have been terribly worried about me and…

sees the angry glares

Fine fine this took forever to come out. Sue me. Laziness really, though I did decided what order to do the next few arcs in (we're about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through this arc… meaning I have a LOT planned for this story) So now that I have some sense of direction I might write faster.

Might.

I know what you're all thinking. Washu, Ryoko, Nabiki, Akane, Ukyo AND Shampoo all under one roof with Ranma? Good god man what are you on. And to this I say… bwhahahaha! I think it'd be interesting for the situation to somewhat fuse with what Tenchi's been going through, that and it let's me not have to worry about writing Soun, Genma and Kasumi. Besides, if all goes to plan they won't stay there too long.

And you may think that I may have overdone the dialogue in this chapter but I needed to get this outta the way. I guarantee I shouldn't have another chapter with this much dialogue, but I needed to get one solid talking chapter in to clear some things up, sorry to disappoint.

Another cliffhanger… ain't I a bastard? The suspense is what does it really, I like to leave people hanging (as you have no doubt seen).

King of Storms WILL be updated next, there's only 4 or 5 chapters to go before that thing's done and the plot will really unfold in this next chapter so that should be fun.

Any reviews can either be sent to my e-mail, or posted on or where I post the story.


	11. Chapter of the Eleventh

--- Some hours earlier, on the rooftops outside of the Tendo Dojo --

A man crouched low behind the peak of a roof that overlooked the Tendo compound. One could easily see into the living room where a heavy discussion was being held between several different people. Most of the people present looked to be Japanese in origin aside from one who looked Chinese, but several were easily identifiable as of American origin. For two others however, one could not discern where these two had come from, and in fact, they were not of human origin. For the cyan haired one, it was more identifiable than the other, for her eyes, ears and tail were quite obviously not something that were natural for a human to have.

The male's eyes narrowed as he twiddled with a device in his hands, looking like a miniature satellite dish, to which a pair of headphones were connected that trailed up to his ears. The conversation going on within the building was being projected directly into his ears, pretty clearly considering the distance between himself and those having the conversation.

Through a small amount of static he heard the conversation wrapping up after two of the young women had left.

"Well daddy… you knew this day would come."

"Nabiki take care of your little sister ok…? Oh how I will miss you both!" The apparent father of the family stated, giving the girl a big hug before they all headed out the door.

The only male of the group, and his target was given every piece of luggage gathered, and he watched with a raised eyebrow as he balanced seven or so full suitcases with apparent ease. It was a feat in itself to balance it, but to also carry all that weight made him even surer that he was the target.

They headed off in the direction of the nearest train station, walking off into the distance.

The man shut off the listening device and hopped down from the roof, careful to avoid being seen and smiled as his whole body suddenly rippled and seemed to bubble a bit, before the skin folded in on itself and a new layer of skin emerged, though this time it was blue in color. The clothes shifted as well, the casual attire turning white before morphing into a racier variant. The chest swelled as two breasts formed most Japanese women would envy. The white shirt split down the center and shifted to only barely cover the swell of her breasts. His, or her at the moment, hair grew out to a new length, brushing just pass her shoulders. The black suddenly seeped away and a vibrant red emerged, almost over saturated to the point of looking inhuman. Her once dark brown eyes faded into the sclera, and the whole eye was white for a moment before coming to a vibrant yellow that made her already unnatural looks only more uncommon. The frame of her body, once fitting of a man shifted and shrank into a much more feminine figure, slender and toned, but not overly so. The pants of the man all gathered up into a long white loin cloth that hung past her knees, but left her long, muscled legs open to the air and to anyone to view rather openly.

The transformation finally complete, Mystique smiled as she shifted back to her natural form, feeling much more comfortable than she had posing as that Japanese man she had seen some time earlier in the day. It was necessary to do this so that the Wolverine would not pick up on her scent; he had no doubt memorized it by now.

She was tasked by Magneto to visit this place, which he had found as the last known residence of the mutant they were hunting, 'Ranma' he was called. The boy intrigued her most certainly, everyone seemed certain he wasn't a mutant, but his abilities were obviously not normal, even in New York there were only a handful of plain humans that could do what he did unassisted.

Her thoughts soured a bit as she thought of Magneto and rolled her eyes (though it was impossible to tell) at the arrogant pigs orders. She disliked him greatly, but would rather have him as an ally than an enemy at the moment, but the moment she could forge her own alliance, she would show the fool the folly of his ways. She knew that his path would eventually lead to the destruction of both mutant and human kind, but as it was she couldn't risk betraying him. She had thought several times to join the X-men, but their ways of dealing with things never settled well with her. So she waited for the proper moment, and then she would have her victory.

Pulling a small walkie-talkie from a pouch hanging from a black belt that was loosely sitting around her waist; she contacted the person that caused her so much grief to give him the news.

"Magneto… our target just left… he's heading for the train station to head into Tokyo." Mystique stated.

A moment passed before Magneto's voice responded. "Ah, thank you Mystique… meet us at the edge of the track, there are a few stops that have to be made so you should have time… and do make it quick."

His voice crackled and cut out and Mystique sneered at the walkie-talkie before putting it back in pouch and shaking her head. "Arrogant bastard…" she muttered darkly, before quickly gathering her bearings and heading out to join her brothers to confront this Ranma.

-- A short ways away --

Logan suddenly paused as he and Peter were walking, his nose twitching before his eyes narrowed.

"Hey Pete… I think this whole thing just got a bit more complicated." He grunted, looking in the direction the scent.

Peter glanced curiously at the rugged looking man next to him. The people around them shot glances at them, unused to seeing the foreign men. "What do you mean?"

"You better change into that costume of yours…" Wolverine's eyes narrowed. "Looks like some other people got their eyes on Ranma…"

Peter looked confused for a moment. "What? Who?"

"The Brotherhood…" Logan growled, motioning for him to follow as they ran off, the mutant guiding the super powered hero.

-- A little later, at the train crash --

"I am Magneto… and I have a proposition for you…" The figure drifting easily in the air stated.

Ranma eyed him warily, but kept the others of this assorted band in his vision, unsure of how to proceed with this meeting.

Host Ranma, be wary of that one… Kao's disembodied and layered voice stated.

"What do you want?" Ranma asked, disregarding rather blatantly any attempt to have a modicum of respect for the figure. 'Why, what's so special about the guy?' Ranma thought, struggling for a moment to have two conversations at once.

This man is known as Magneto, as he had said. I only have what Peter Parker knew of the man as a source of information, but what I can tell is that he has some sort of mastery over magnetic fields.

'What's so special about that?'

Magneto nearly sneered at this whelp's lack of respect for he, the master of magnetism, but let it slide, knowing that this was a possible ally after all, and it would not do if he lost the chance to befriend him this early in the game. "Well, I witnessed your battle at the bank a couple days ago on the television, quite an impressive display indeed. Not only taking Venom out, but so quickly and efficiently at that. It intrigued me." Venom was a well known character in New York; it was hard not to notice the nearly seven foot tall hulking beast of muscle, with a grin that would scare most. He was not a villain, nor a hero either, somewhere lost in between. His twisted sense of justice made him more of a rogue vigilante, and the way he consumed those who wronged others was more than enough to make most of the villains know that Venom was not to be trifled with. After all, one who could stand against Spider-man and rather easily be more than a match was enough to make them wary.

And then this boy came along, and dispatched of Venom as if he was nothing. Most intriguing indeed. "Clearly you are not of the human race, no mere homo sapien could take on such a beast… surely you must realize that…"

And indeed it was true. More and more, after Kao's startling revelations that had been revealed to him, he knew that he was no mere human, but still, he was pretty sure he wasn't anything else either.

Kao wanted to roll his eyes at his host's ignorance, but as he had no eyes he had to make do with what he had. Host Ranma, magnetic fields are quite possibly one of the most powerful fields there are. They affect so much in the world that the extent of his powers is hard to fathom, I can only assume at this point, as his powers will start to extend into the theoretical spectrum, and even then I am unsure if even I could comprehend what was going on.

'Eh?' Ranma intelligently responded, only really catching the fact that Kao had said that this guy had power, and a lot of it.

"Well yeah, so?" Ranma responded. "I mean, so what if I ain't human…?"

Host Ranma... Kao's voice once again filtered in, this time truly sounding exasperated. This man has powers that are so great that I have no doubt he could defeat you, and with ease at that. He is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous people on earth, and rightfully so. I would suggest taking extreme caution when confronting this man, and considering that he is surrounded by more of what I can only guess are mutants, the danger that this encounter might put you in has me worried for your safety, and life.

Ranma was about to give Kao a piece of his mind about his abilities being so easily disregarded when Magneto spoke again, cutting Ranma's thoughts off for the moment.

Magneto smirked. Now it was time to reveal to this boy the truth of the world. "How sheltered you must be. You must know of how mutants are treated…? You must realize that anything these… mortals consider 'unnatural' or 'inhuman' are prejudiced against. They hunt people like you and I and my brethren here Ranma, chastise us and hate us. Surely you have received stares from people the fear in their eyes? The look of near disgust at what you are?"

That struck a sore spot. Recently at the Masaki household after Kao revealed the extent of his strength, he had felt more than one stare of disbelief and possibly… fear. And they were aliens for god's sake. It made the statement only ring truer when he remembered the times after Herb and Saffron even when his rivals and even fiancées would give him a look of fear when they thought he wasn't looking. Especially after his fight with the Phoenix King, Saffron, he noticed that both Ryoga and Mousse seemed more wary to attack him, and when they were not fighting the looks he received were really disconcerting.

It only became worse after his move to Tokyo, occasionally on the streets hearing hushed whispers, usually involving the words 'Nerima' and 'Martial Artists.' Ranma was not a celebrity by any means, but that does not mean his feats have gone unnoticed by the populace of Japan.

Noticing the advantage, Magneto pressed on. "These people will come to hate you Ranma, as they hate us! They will undoubtedly start to loathe and fear you; hate you for being something more than they are! They cannot understand, and because of that jealousy and hatred spawn! These people… even those close to you; will eventually deteriorate into nothing more than people who fear you and will distant themselves from you…. And you will end up alone." Magneto gestured grandly to those around him, nearly the entirety of the brotherhood. "But there is another way… we are the Brotherhood Ranma, we embrace our gifts, recognize our true place in this world as not mere homo-sapiens, no… but instead as homo-superior! The next stage in human evolution… the beginning of a grander scheme… we dedicate ourselves to showing these… humans the follies of their ways, and showing them the truth… that they are merely a species that is going to be nothing more than a reference in the textbooks of tomorrow."

Ranma stared at the man long and hard, having conflicting thoughts about this whole ordeal. He agreed that the people who didn't understand his training and experiences would fear him, it has been quite evident that if those around him feared them as he suspected they did, how would a normal person not? But he wasn't so sure that 'showing the humans the folly of their ways' as this Magneto fellow had put it was the right thing to do. Ranma did enjoy flaunting however, and simply loved the attention of others, and so the idea of people hating him struck a chord within the martial artist. 'Hey Kao… is he tellin' the truth?' Ranma asked, wanting to confirm with his more intellectual half the truths of this statement.

Kao seemed silent for a bit but eventually spoke through their mind, quite clearly despite no sound being produced. It is… true Host Ranma that a majority of the populace, here or otherwise is not ready to be exposed to someone as… 'unique' as you. The emphasis on the word unique made Ranma wince as Kao continued his monologue. A minority however will see you in a different light, depending on how you use your skills. You are not normal Host Ranma, not by any means, and you are lucky to have people around you that accept you as readily as they do, so do not take them for granted. However you should remember that no matter what your intentions, people will see you as they wish to, regardless of what you may try to do. Spider-man, for example, is generally regarded as a hero among the populace of New York, but only because he has been doing so for so long. When he began he was thought to be another vigilante and most people just wanted him to disappear. With time, more people will accept you, but most of the people have never witnessed thing like you can do.

Ranma grunted softly so the people ahead of him couldn't hear. 'And what's this homo-superior crap?'

It is what Magneto and the Brotherhood refer to themselves as. They are mutants, but think the term is rather harsh and prefer homo-superior instead. They believe that 'mutants' are actually nature taking it's course and are the next step in evolution for mankind, and plan on showing the world their views on such. I have my doubts as to whether or not they are truly the next stage of evolution or merely what their name suggests, just 'mutants.'

'What makes you think that?' Ranma asked his mind, wondering not for this first time how exactly they communicated. It was… kind of like talking, but not. It was as if he could feel Kao's thoughts more than hear them, and it made them so much more expressive that it was truly hard to describe in words. No response from the symbiote came for some moments, and Ranma was curious as to that but before he could ask Magneto spoke again.

After watching the various emotions play through the young man's face, Magneto's arrogant smirk blew into a full blown grin. No doubt the boy was realizing the truths of what he said, and while he had the advantage, Magneto pressed on. "What say you, Ranma? Will you join me and my fellow homo superior in our attempt to show the people of the world who truly are the superior species?"

Ranma remained silent a moment longer, a contemplative look on his face. "So, you want to 'convince' the people that we are superior eh?" At Magneto's nod Ranma continued. "And just how would we do that, get on the news and tell everyone we're so amazing?"

Magneto chuckled at the foolish ignorance displayed and shook his head. "I'm afraid the time for words is over. We have to show our power to these people and bend them, prove to them through force just what it is that we can do!"

Ranma's lips tugged into a frown. "So what? We're gonna beat up some weaker guys so that we can prove we're better?"

The lips of the floating figure clad in the reds and violets also turned into a frown at the crude description of their work. "It is hardly beating them up… we will merely exterminate the fools from this planet and then there will be only us left, we the superior race."

A frown instantly adorned Ranma's face. For a moment, he had been considering the proposition. Ranma was not one who liked to be outcast; he liked to be in the center of the scheme of things, not left behind. But killing was something he reserved for people like Saffron, who had a general disregard for people he dubbed "inferior." Now that Magneto was acting quite similar, Ranma's mind quickly decided on the path he would take. "What the hell? You think just because you got some powers other guys don't you can go 'round murderin' innocent people? Fuck that man, Beatin' the snot outta em is one thing, but killin' people like that? I mean only kill if you have to man, I mean, even Herb wouldn't do something like that…" Ranma stated, but quickly followed up with a mental note. 'Wouldn't put it past Saffron though.'

I applaud your desire to not kill random civilians Host Ranma however- Kao's voice was cut off by Magneto, who snarled in rage at the impudent whelp before him.

Magneto wasn't sure who this 'Herb' fellow was that Ranma had mentioned, nor did he care. As far as he was concerned, he had received his answer and that was that. The fool didn't seem to realize just what it was that he was going up against, did he? For he was the master of all thing metal, and there was truly no equal to his power. To ensure that he would not be a future nuisance however, lest Xavier and his silly band of idiots retrieve the boy, he would have to be destroyed.

"Very well then… if you insist to remain ignorant to what is clear…" Magneto raised a hand, and with it, the train car Ranma was on top of lifted above the ground like a feather on the wind, drifting weightlessly above the earth with hardly any sign of struggle on Magneto's part. "You must die." The train suddenly snapped upward like a mousetrap, and it was only the brief buzzing and honed reflexes that allowed Ranma to dive out of the way as the train car he was standing on was quite literally bent in half and crushed by itself, the windows shattering loudly and the grass sent tinkling to the ground below and sounding like a wind chime on a gentle breeze. Of course, this was anything but such.

His trained body easily flipped while he dropped, landing on the ground with naught a noise into a crouched position, his legs wide and one hand going down as well to cushion the fall, the other raising up behind him. He quickly looked up to survey his new opponents, and his eyes widened.

The large man with the maroon armor was smiling rather maniacally, cracking one melon sized fist in the other as be lumbered forward, each step resounding loudly beneath him, and at a glance Ranma noticed that the tracks flattened like cardboard beneath his feet, making him revise his previous thoughts about the man just being large for show.

The animalistic one seemed to crouch low, growling deep in his throat and raising his hands before him, showing off his lengthened claw like fingernails, his yellow eyes gleaming in the sun and his teeth gnashing away in his mouth. Ranma was reminded of Logan for a moment, but discarded the thought as soon as it occurred.

The blue woman, whom Ranma thought looked the most inhuman did nothing more than put herself into a rather advanced martial arts stance, Ranma quickly categorized as a Ninjutsu stance, and a rather good one at that. He noted that her form was nigh perfect and made a note to watch her to see if she could back it up.

The one with the silver armor just giggled with glee, rubbing his hands together quickly before crouching low and setting his hands upon the earth. Ranma was confused at the posture, but quickly turned his attention back to Magneto.

Magneto had performed another simple gesture with his hand (despite the fact that it was not needed) and the track itself began to disassemble itself around them, each piece separating cleanly and rising around them, before slowly each one molded quickly and fluidly into wicked looking objects, long spikes with barbs, blades and other nasty tools for pain that made Ranma sweat.

-Perhaps angering Magneto at this point was not the best choice you could have made in this case… Kao finished, immediately sending every piece of information about their surroundings through Ranma's head to assist him.

And then the tremors started.

-- A couple minutes before, inside the train --

Akane had been worried before, however now it became much worse as people ran by screaming in terror, pushing and shoving violently passed each other.

Washu frowned deeply as she typed at the holo-console. "What the hell…? The magnetic fields in the area are fluctuating wildly…" Her eyes widened suddenly as she pinpointed the source of the power. "My god…"

Ryoko floated around the car and phased through the wall to get a better look at what Washu is doing.

"What's up?" She asked, wondering what would make Washu so worried.

"The source of the magnetic fluctuations. The power of the fields is so powerful that…" She shook her head. "I don't think even I could make such fields, I've never seen this sort of power… its astounding!"

The mob had mostly passed, only several stragglers left behind.

Everyone had been surprised when Washu had suddenly began typing at a console that appeared out of nowhere, but her comments only made the even more concerned about their love interest's health.

"W-what do you mean, Washu?" Ukyo asked.

Washu shook her head. "I'm not sure… but something's going on up front… something big."

-- Back outside --

The buzzing in his head had yet to cease from within the train, bothering Ranma greatly. He wasn't used to such a distraction while fighting, and so when it suddenly flared up, it took a moment for him to react. Of course, a moment was all it took.

A loud rumbling suddenly surrounded him and he stumbled a bit as his footing was compromised by the severe rattling that was shaking beneath and around him.

'A- an earthquake?!?' Ranma thought. It wasn't unheard of, Japan was the location of many earthquakes after all, but it occurred so suddenly and at such an inopportune moment that Ranma was sure something else was causing this…

The one with the "A" on his chest Ranma, the tremors seem to be coming from him. Kao stated quickly to answer his unspoken question.

Ranma quickly regained his footing and concentration, quickly noting the location of his opponents before nodding and leaping into the air weightlessly, easily soaring over the heads of the brotherhood, his ascent quickly reaching its peak before he started to descend, the silver-armored individual the target.

Before he could reach him however, a buzzing in the back of his head started anew and Ranma had to shake his head a moment to clear it before he realized the danger.

The metal objects that had seemed to take a life of their own suddenly flew through the air at dizzying speeds, disproving Ranma's previous theory that they would be slow.

His path through the air quickly changed as he appeared to bounce off some unseen substance and fly through the air in another direction as the multitude of lethal looking metal objects flung themselves at him with dangerous intent. Sure that he was out of danger, or at least for the moment, Ranma cursed as the direction of the various blades and spikes redirected themselves to his new location.

'Damn that ain't fair!' Ranma thought as he contorted his body to best dodge the blades, his mind suddenly drifting back to thoughts of Mousse and his hidden weapons. The problem was that these projectiles seemed much, much more accurate and deadly, and faster as well. He winced as he felt one graze his forearm, drawing forth a spurt of his blood.

He felt a sudden squirming inside his body and noted the bleeding slowed, and came to the realization that Kao was artificially clotting the wound, and gave a mental thanks to the symbiotic partner.

Before he had time to recover however the attack was pressed further, and he turned to face the feral looking man leaping through the air at him, his hand reared back and the long, claw-like fingernails rose in preparation to rend him. He quickly turned to face this new opponent, getting ready to block, smirking as he noted the folly of the attack. Mid-air combat was his specialty after all.

His mind flared again and this time he cursed loudly, glancing back to see the blue-skinned woman also leaping at him from behind. 'Kao turn that damned thing off, I can't fight like this!' Ranma thought, narrowly avoiding the swipe from the man and spinning in a quick kick to send the man flying through the air at the woman, noting that she used him as a springboard to launch herself faster at him, unconcerned at the man's state of health.

Host Ranma, I suggest that I leave this ability activated as its benefits are far better than the alternative…

Ranma grunted as his mind buzzed each moment before the woman attacked, confusing him slightly. Now, normally it would not be too much of a problem to fight with this newfound ability, but being surrounded by danger as it were, Ranma found the constant buzzing to be more debilitating that helpful. He could adapt, he was sure of that, but at the moment it was not helping him a bit. A somewhat clumsy block of the strike at his throat allowed a moment for the female mutant to quickly launch a kick at his abdomen, sending him flying downwards towards the ground. The pain was rather insignificant, she was weaker than Akane was, but the strike he noted after he flipped to land on the ground and sliding a few feet back from the momentum, was not intended to hurt him, but rather set him up. Tremors started anew beneath his feet, much more violent this time and he was hard pressed to find decent footing. The only warning he received from the attack was the sudden displacement of air behind him and the whoosh that followed, as well as that really annoying buzz in his head. He quickly tumbled forward, avoiding the enormous fist as it crushed through the ground he had been occupying only moments earlier. In mid tumble he witnessed the fist from the enormous man crush through the railroad tracks and ground alike like it wasn't even there, and the ground instantly buckled under the force of the attack, forming an enormous crater. Ranma's eyes crossed at the power from that fist and silently noted that staying away from him was a good idea. He seemed to be strong enough to rival Lime, but Ranma decided that he'd rather not prove that guess at the moment.

As he rose to a stand Ranma cursed as he noted that he had been led into the middle of a circle, surrounded on all sides by these mutants. He cursed again as he watched more metal rise around him, surrounding him as his opponents had, and his eyes narrowed as several sections of the train did so as well, separating effortlessly and lifting into the air and joining the other pieces of metal.

"As you can see Ranma… you have no chance against us… give up now and join us! You're efforts are admiral, but foolish." Magneto stated proudly.

'Kao… turn that damn thing off!' Ranma shouted in his mind as the buzzing continued.

A slight pause indicated Kao mulling the request over, before he felt the almost painful sensation in his head ebb away and disappear altogether. It is against my better judgment, but very well.

Ranma grinned as the sensations subsided and looked up at Magneto. "Che, you kiddin' me? I'm just getting started!" He shouted before finally deciding to step up his skills a bit, still wary of going all out despite the obvious danger he was in.

Magneto would have commented further, but was cut off as Ranma shot off towards him in a speed much faster than he had moved at before, leaping into the air with his fist reared back, preparing a rather devastating looking punch. He barely had time to raise a stray piece of metal in front of him, allowing it to stretch and fold into a hyper dense shield of sorts in front of him, the fist stopping mere centimeters away from his face as the fist, calloused and rough, slammed into the metal disk and leaving an impression several centimeters deep. The force with which the fist impacted surprised Magneto greatly, from what he had seen thus far, the only real display of strength this 'Ranma' had shown was when he had fought Venom. Eyes narrowing, Magneto pushed the metal in front of him away, sending Ranma, who was rather surprised at the metal disk, flying backwards back to the middle of the group, followed closely by more of the metal projectiles that Magneto so easily controlled.

To say he had been shocked when his punch had suddenly struck some metal barrier was an understatement. He had expected to take the guy out with that one punch, and thus put a lot of force behind it. Taking Magneto out had become a priority after witnessing the extent of his power and after Kao's comment, and so when he had found his plan suddenly being turned on him, he had to quickly revise it. It of course was hard to do while avoiding a multitude of metal objects flying at you, and while his style specialized at mid air combat, dodging each projectile was near impossible. Anything Goes was designed to be used against an opponent, not to dodge a number of metal flechettes being flung at you.

Even as talented as Ranma was, it wasn't possible to come out of that attack unscathed, and so as he flipped and twisted around as many as he could, he found a number of them still able to slash across his skin, some passing deeply into his muscle and causing him to shout out in pain as they drew more blood than the first cut had. More of the odd sensations of his flesh moving assaulted him, but he ignored it for the moment to regain his composure.

But his opponents were not so lenient. The rumbling started anew, this time with much, much more force, and Ranma noticed little cracks forming beneath his feet as he lowered himself to keep steady, looking to the silver-clad man. 'Gotta get ridda that… really buggin' me…' Seeing that the blue-skinned woman was positioned next to him, Ranma quickly decided on his plan and shot off towards her, for all intents and purposes looking to engage her.

Host Ranma, I suggest you take this fight more seriously. Kao's voice suddenly interrupted as Ranma ducked under a counter-kick aimed for his head and darted past her, leaping into a flying kick aimed at the oddly garbed man. 'What're you talkin' about? I am takin this seriously!' Ranma thought as his foot struck home with a satisfying impact, the first real hit he had got in the whole battle.

Avalanche had been caught off guard when he looked up to see the foot about to impact in his face, and thus had no time to raise any sort of defense, taking the full force of the blow and flying backwards through the air some dozen feet before tumbling to the ground and rolling to a halt, his body impacting against the yet unassembled rails of the train track and no doubt injuring further. His body remained still, much to Ranma's relief, and with the brief moment he had, Kao spoke once more.

Host Ranma, this is not another one of your martial arts matches. This is a fight for your life, whether you like it or not these people are trying to kill you, and will not stop until they see you dead. The thought was passed directly into Ranma's own mind.

A surprised look crossed more than one if the brotherhood's mutant's faces as the watched Avalanche so easily dispatched of. They had all watched the boy take out Venom at Magneto's request, but still, they had been sure he was going to fight Mystique, when before their eyes he had seemingly flowed before their fellow member with lightning efficiency and speed, dispatching him with a practiced ease that unsettled Mystique especially.

'I am takin this seriously Kao! This ain't no different from when me and Ryoga fight, he's out ta kill me too, remember?' Ranma thought as he kept most of his mind in the battle. He had gotten out of the circle he had been trapped in at least, but that still left four, and also the most powerful of the bunch from what he could tell as of yet. At least he wouldn't have to worry about those tremors, but he still had the metal guy to worry about, and taking him down was still number one on his priority list.

The blonde one rushed forward toward the Chinese clad martial artist and took a wild swipe, intent to disembowel the shifty teen and end this fight quickly, though Ranma quickly turned and leaned backward, letting the arm swing above him. With his opponent of balance, Ranma planted his arms on the ground beside him and lifted himself up, swing a leg up and around and with a distinct "crack" slammed his foot into the back of Sabertooth's head. The blonde mutant's eyes seemed to widen, though it was hard to tell through those pupil-less orbs, and he flew forward several feet before landing face first into the ground, still.

Pushing off with his hands, Ranma flipped to his feet and immediately took up a combat stance, smirking at the three remaining brotherhood.

Mystique looked the most surprised, she had after all just watched two powerful mutants in their own fields taken down with a single blow each, and noted that the style her opponent used, which she had yet to identify, was brutally efficient, designed for optimized incapacitation in the shortest time possible.

Of course, being made by Happosai and only further altered by Genma as well as Ranma, both of whom are not the most honorable of characters, it wasn't a real surprise that the style was such.

Ranma however, would have been much better off if he had known that Sabertooth was much like Logan in the sense that both had a healing factor that easily outclassed the rest of the human race and for that matter most other sentient beings. Thus, while the blow was enough to knock out the average human, Ranma was still hardly using his strength to its full potential, and was also still unassisted by Kao. So when Sabertooth rose up behind him, his head still aching, but otherwise unharmed, Ranma was not surprisingly caught off guard as the claws of the animalistic mutant tore into his back, digging deep into his flesh and rending through skin and muscle alike.

A scream was let loose by Ranma as he felt the nails dig deep and scrape against the tender organs contained within his body, and nearly fell to a knee. He stumbled forward clumsily, wincing as the hand was pulled out of his back and again felt Kao trying to clot it, but he knew that it was not enough.

Host Ranma, there is only so much I can do… I can stop most of the blood from escaping but I cannot mend the damaged tissue, or replicate it. You will be at a significant disadvantage if you continue fighting in this state.

Sabertooth grimaced, that had felt a lot slimier than he thought it would. He took a glance down at his nails to check what was going on, and rose an eyebrow as the shreds of the shirt that were still attached to his nails seemed to melt away and dissolve into nothing. At another glance, he saw that the shirt was mending itself, strands connecting at the middle of the tears and pulling itself together, like something being torn apart in reverse.

"Stuff it Kao!" Ranma shouted aloud, now uncaring of who heard him as he tried to get back into his stance.

"Looks like we got ourselves a glimpse of him mutant power…" Sabertooth spat out, whipping his hand down to dislodge the goop that was most certainly not blood from his fingers.

The others had not had the best angle to view the attack from, but had witnessed his clothes seemingly ripple and shift on their own, but still the mutant power was an unknown, and it left Mystique weary.

Juggernaut however, was not so impressed. Though not a mutant himself, he had begrudgingly learned to respect their powers for no other reason than for the challenges they presented. Still though, with the powers he had inherited from the energies that Cyttorak had gifted him with, he was more than a match for most mutants, and even Magneto would find himself hard pressed to defeat the monstrosity of a man in combat, if he was alone that was.

Magneto had promised Cain that the boy would most certainly help them in defeating the X-men, and ultimately, Charles Xavier, the bane of his life. 'And if he does not join us…' Magneto had said, 'Then he will most certainly draw the interest of Charles.'

Now it seemed less likely, and Cain Marko was none too pleased that so far, this little adventure did not look like it would lead to Charles in the slightest.

Regardless, he was here, and had been itching for a fight for some time, in recent periods having kept a low profile to try and find another means to get to his stepbrother. He took a step forward, the earth seemingly vibrating in harmony with each of his steps and resonating throughout the area like a small quake, and looked down at the kid who stood nearly a foot shorter than he did. Rearing a meaty fist back, he swung it forward with every intent to crush the boy so he could move on and get to bigger and better things.

Ranma, who was still slightly recovering from the wound that had been forcefully carved into his back, looked up in time to see the windup, and his mind was sent into action. 'Kao, quick, boost me.' Ranma nearly shouted in his mind, planting his feet into the ground and trying to get prepared for the strike. As you wish it, Host Ranma. Kao stated, and the familiar tingle of his body becoming stronger and faster than before beset him, not unlike what he felt during his transformation.

The punch was sloppy, almost laughably so, and Ranma prepared to swat it aside with ease as he usually did and then lay into the behemoth before him.

Unfortunately for Ranma, he did not know that Cyttorak had gifted Cain Marko with a number of abilities other than his many times augmented physique. One power, that proved useful time and time again was the Juggernaut's ability to simply ignore impeding or altering forces in movement, such that when any part of him moved by his own will, nothing could stop or alter it's course. Slowing him down was possible, but hardly an easy task, but as Ranma brought his arm into the forearm of Cain's, using every ounce of strength he could muster (just in case, Ranma still didn't know what sort of abilities this fellow had) he was more than surprised when his palm hit the arm and instead of still moving, simply stopped in place, and even more worrying was the fact that the fist headed towards his abdomen was not only still traveling as fast as it had, but it's course had not changed in the slightest. Ranma's eyes widened for a moment as he tried to move quickly, but avoiding a fist that was nearly half the size of your chest in mere instants is no easy feat, especially so when wounded as he was.

Thus, even the rest of the brotherhood winced as Juggernaut's fist connected square on into the boys chest, and kept traveling forward, lifting Ranma off his feet with ease and propelling him at an alarming rate over the edge of the small raised platform where the train ran and sailing down into the suburbs below, noticeably broken. Now, normally taking a punch from someone stronger than him was not that impressive, Ranma had been taking punches from people stronger than him most his life, but none were even close to the strength that the Juggernaut possessed.

Ranma felt, at the instant the fist collided with his chest, ribs only briefly groaning underneath the stress of the attack before snapping like twigs from the man… no monster's punch. Some, he felt, stay together, only snapping in twine before the broken piece was pushed inwards and piercing his organs, while others simply seemed to crumble, unable to take the force of the Juggernaut's mighty punch. As Ranma sailed through the air, he reflected on how much of a mistake it was, to underestimate his opponent like that. He had thought him to be nothing more than a Lime-wannabe, strong for show and slow as hell. Unfortunately, this guy was easily many times stronger than Lime, and Ranma had no doubt that he could crush both Lime and Ryoga at the same time if need be.

Ho.. R…nma? Kao's feelings seemed to sift into his head, but not as clearly as they had before, which made him worry slightly.

Before he could respond, he felt his back hit something briefly, and could only think 'Stone…' before his body crashed forcibly through the stone wall surrounding a rather large home, impacting into the ground, which felt a lot harder than it probably was he noted idly, and then bouncing up and into the wall of the home, easily crashing through the foundations and bringing it tumbling down on top of him, debris and dust scattering through the area as more and more fell atop of him, though the pain was hardly noted, compared to that in his chest. He heard more creaking and several more crashes, 'Must be some more walls…' he thought, as his eyes started to close. 'So… tired…'

-- Inside the train --

"I can't take this anymore! I'm going to go see what's going on with Ran-chan!" Ukyo decided, her resolve firmly set in place as she pulled the enormous spatula strapped to her back with practiced ease and set out the door, all but sprinting towards the front where there was still some distant noise.

"I going to help Airen too!" Shampoo declared, not to be left out. She pulled out her own weapons from beneath the seats (never let yourself be caught defenseless Cologne had always said) and rushed out as well.

"No! Stop!" Washu shouted just moments too late as she looked up from her holo-console, where information flashed by, nearly too fast to read. She cursed loudly and turned to look at Ryoko, who was still partially submerged in the wall and looking over her shoulder. "Get out there and stop them!"

"Psh. Why? They can take care of themselves." Ryoko snorted, lifting her nose.

Washu reached up and grabbed her ear, pulling her down so they could see eye to eye. "No, they can't. Not if what I'm seeing is right… Damnit!" Washu yelled as her console beeped, beckoning her attention once more.

Ryoko wondered for a moment what had her mother all in a tiff, before she looked to the front of the train. She may not like the guy, but if he was in danger… "Fine fine…" Ryoko stated, trying to sound exasperated. "I'll go check it out."

Washu failed to respond as she typed furiously against the keyboard, pausing to thank herself to make the keyboard holographic as well, or by now her fingers would be raw and numb.

Akane bit her lip and glanced toward Nabiki, whose usually calm and casual demeanor had changed, a slight hint of worry shining in her eye. Akane wanted to go help, but she knew that both Ukyo and Shampoo were better than her and Ranma even more so… and that Alien girl probably was too. She sighed and hugged herself. 'Please Ranma… Be safe…'

Ryoko passed through the walls of the train, slipping in-between the empty space in the matter with an almost bored expression in her face. 'Figures that kid can't handle this…' Her lips grew into a smirk as she thought of how much she could tease him after she clobbered whatever it was that was attacking. Seeing that the front of the train was near, Ryoko changed course and floated up through the ceiling, and gasped.

Ukyo and Shampoo stood by the train, apparently having slipped through a window of some sort because… well, there was no front of the train. The car ended and several hundred feet ahead, the forward car lay, bent in half and crushed like a pancake. Glass from the windows was scattered all about, and the train tracks themselves had seemingly missing sections, where it looked like the construction had never finished. But no, that was not the spectacle, what was the thing of interest was Ranma, shouting in pain as his back was sliced by a set of claws on some odd looking human, who leapt back and frowned at his claws.

"Looks like we got ourselves a glimpse of him mutant power…" She heard him say in a deep baritone, and all but Ranma focused as his shirt mended together.

She then watched, almost in horror as a monstrosity of a man stepped forward, preparing to punch. Relief, however, washed over her as she saw Ranma get into a ready stance, and slam his palm into the forearm of the monolithic attacker…

… Only to be crushed by the fist, his move to deflect the attacking fist failing utterly. Ryoko saw his body lifted easily from the ground and propelled off the tracks and down below, where his broken body smashed into a walled home, bouncing into the home and being buried beneath a multitude of debris.

"Ran-chan!"

"Airen!"

Cries from the fiancées rang out at the same time as the ran over to look down to see what had happened of their potential husband, waiting impatiently for some sign of life, some movement from the rubble.

Only none came.

-- Partway across town --

Spider-man leapt from rooftop to rooftop, Wolverine sprinting down on the streets below and rushing towards the tracks where some sort of commotion was obviously taking place.

'Wish there were some taller buildings around here…' Peter bitterly thought as he continued hopping, the method of travel much more tiring than he would have liked. 'Could have been there in half the time and not nearly as tired…'

Logan seemed to sense Peter's thoughts and shouted some words of encouragement. "Don't worry about it kid…" He stated, refusing to use the name "Spider-man." "We'll be there in no time, I ain't sure that Ranma can hold them off for too much longer."

As if on cue, they watched as a figure went flying off the tracks at speeds that were dizzying and went crashing into a home several blocks away, the loud smashing of rocks and splintering of wood easily resonating through the area, and sending already panicked civilians running in terror. Spider-man avoided the crowds easily enough, still jumping from roof to roof, though now with a stronger sense of purpose. His fatigue seemed to disappear and his heart pounded. 'Come on… be alive, be alive…' Spider-man thought as he picked up the pace, not concerned with Wolverine for the moment.

Logan on the other hand, was struck by a wave of pedestrians who had been foolish enough to gather at the scene, looking at the fight in awe. He cursed loudly and let his claws slide out of his skin in one quick motion and shouting in Japanese. "All of you get outta' my WAY!"

It had the desired affect, whether it was the claws or the words, and a small path was opened, enough for him to get through at least, and he quickly ran to catch up with the web-slinger to check on the figure that had flown only moments earlier. He arrived some minutes later, looking only mildly winded and noted that Spider-man was already at the pile of rubble, hurriedly removing each piece to free the figure within.

"Come on!" Peter shouted as he continued to repeat his mantra in his mind. 'Be alive, be alive, be alive…'

Logan moved to help, but paused when he saw something shake from within the pile. "Kid watch out!"

-----------------

Host Ranma, sleeping is not advisable at this point in time. Kao's thoughts suddenly filtered in, stronger and clearer than they had ever felt before.

Ranma tried to shake his head, but found himself pinned by cement, wood, and rock alike, wincing as the shifting caused more of the debris to rain down upon him, battering and slicing him with no remorse. 'But… how..? So…'

Host Ranma, do you now see what I was telling you? These men are not the same as your rivals. The thoughts were again, louder and clearer than they had been. Kao pressed on before Ranma spoke. These people will kill you, without a thought, and they will do the same to your fiancées, and do so in moments. You can't just treat this like a match, Host Ranma. This is a fight to the death, whether you like it or not.

Ranma's eyes, if one could see them, seemed to portray confusion for a moment, before he spoke aloud, completely ignorant of any listening ears that may have been nearby. 'Yo- You want me to kill them?'

It is them or us, Host Ranma. I am not a creature who is made to save lives; I was created to take them. However, in taking their lives, you will not only have saved your own and your friends, but also those in the future who may be subjected to their power. Think about it Host Ranma, if you simply defeat them, what stops them from coming back?

Ranma had no response.

I can only dull the pain, Host Ranma. The damage is still done, and there are still those that need your help. At Kao's words Ranma noticed that indeed, he should have been hurting a lot more than he did. That's not to say he felt alright; in fact it was still some of the worst pain he had ever been in. Each breath was like liquid fire down his throat, his abdomen exploding like small fire bursts behind his eyes, and his body felt so weak and tired, like it was naught but a massive bruise. Think, Host Ranma. Think what could that person do to Shampoo, to Ukyo, and to Akane?

This time, Ranma's eyes truly did widen, and the emotion was horror, as he imagined Akane being struck by that beast. He let loose a low growl, and decided.

Kao immediately went to work on his system, releasing alarming amounts of adrenaline and pumping out almost dangerous amounts of certain hormones and chemicals, his mind slowly changing from what it had been into something much more… primal. The symbiote nearly wanted to shout with glee as it's host began moving again, trying to sit up and get back to the fight, thoughts of violence and pain to be inflicted on his mind were easily read by the symbiotic partner from another world, and the pump of chemicals was increased…

Allow me to assist you, Host Ranma… The symbiote whispered in an all too seductive manner as Ranma felt the liquid like substance seep from his skin, then all but explode upward in a violent blast, scattering the debris from the home for meters around before cascading down like a fountain around him, and binding close against his skin forming the now familiar suit Kao had created for just such an occasion.

------

Magneto watched with pursed lips as the boy went flying off of the tracks and crashing into the building. While certainly not discreet, it was effective, he'd give Juggernaut that.

A glance at the giant man indicated he, too, seemed pleased with his handiwork by the expression by his face.

However, the shouts of some females attracted his attention, and he turned to focus on two young looking women, both holding rather large weapons (if they could be called such) looking over the edge and down upon the rubble, a worried expression gracing their normally pleasant faces. Another exotic looking woman stood atop the train, her eyes wide and jaw agape at the force of the punch. The two younger ones turned then, facing the Brotherhood with misty eyes and bitter determination in their eyes. They shouted several times in Japanese, obviously quite angry with the group.

"More human filth…" Magneto sighed out, shaking his head in amusement. He raised his hand and let the pieces of the track that were unassembled turn to the newcomers, and watched in amusement as their protests drew silent, and a frightened look glinted in their tear-filled eyes.

But before he could send the instruments of pain forward, a geyser of black and red erupted from the downed building, shooting high into the air and making a rather dramatic display of itself before it succumbed to gravity and began to drop back down, into the newly formed pile of debris.

-----

Wolverine and Spider-man were forced to shield their eyes as the pile quivered several times before exploding outwards, the debris scattering about and impacting against their bodies. No real damage was received, but it was still a bit painful.

From deep within the pile a shower of some substance seemed to fly into the air and swirl in and around itself, its color an ever-chaotic shift between black and red. Tendrils and coronas reached around the pillar, prodding and caressing the air around it like it was grasping for something before returning into the core of the substance. It was only there for a moment however, as soon the substance turned downward and splashed down and upon the pile of debris, covering it completely and totally.

Logan shot Peter a concerned look, who, despite the mask, conveyed the same emotion.

Then, they turned and watched as a bulge started to appear in the center of the ooze, rising slowly and slowly forming the shape of a man. It looked like someone rising out of some sort of molten plastic, the liquid draped across his skin with no sort of padding at all, letting each muscle be outlined with perfection. The stuff that was covering the debris slowly slid towards the center as it rose, like a draping being pulled up and around this figure, and it finally all was soaked into the center, where the only evidence of the stuff was left, was the figure standing in the middle.

Peter gazed with wide eyes at the inhuman thing before him. While humanoid in shape, the figure was altogether unnatural, and disconcertingly so. About as tall as Logan, but much more lithe and wiry, the figure was that of a man, and instead of skin he seemed to have this odd goop covering him, chaotic and random swirls of black and red spilling into and around each other all throughout the body, distracting one from the finer details. The muscles were evident, but not particularly large. Its legs were long, good for running, and probably indicated a faster being than it would be if it had been stockier. But the face… that was what threw Peter off. The jaw was thin and elongated, easily not human in the slightest, and it hung open with its black and red needle-like teeth covering an expanse of deeper crimson that seemed to extend forever within it. The eyes were large and ovular, however the top edges were frayed and torn, almost looking like a flame rising.

"Venom…" Was the only thing Peter could think to say, before the thing let off a growl just as inhuman as it looked, a deep guttural thing that resonated with your stomach and made you queasy. It rose it's arm, apparently unaware of Wolverine and the wall-crawler, and both watched as it seemed to extend, the forearm simply stretching longer and longer at immense speeds, but not getting any smaller either. Small blobs of the stuff seemed to drip off before disappearing altogether, and the tendrils they had seen on the pillar were present here as well, but much more active, whipping about in some sort of frenzy. The arm collided against the edge of the platform where the train resided, and flattened with a wet splat, before thinning itself down into a smaller, centimeters thick rope. The rope thinned up all along the entire line until it reached the figure, where a hand reshaped itself around the newly formed line, and shot off as it seemed to suck the line into itself, pulling itself up and away like some sort of grappling hook.

A brief glance was exchanged before Logan and Peter were both rushing off, now ignoring the small stings of the impacts they had felt only moments earlier when they had been pelted with the debris. The situation had just grown much, much worse.

------

Ranma's mind was nothing more than a haze of rage as he was slung forward and upwards, towards the train that he had been riding on only recently. Thoughts of what he'd do to those people if they even laid a hand upon on his fiancées swirled through his hormone induced mind, and he knew nothing but the pain he wanted to cause those people.

As he neared the lip of the platform, he jerked his arm down and propelled himself upward, the thick rope retreating from where it had stuck to the edge and retracting back into the living costume he now wore.

The pain of the wounds he had received were naught but a memory now, the adrenaline and rage filling his mind and focusing him completely on other, more urgent matters, and he could simply ignore the molten pain that ebbed from his chest and the various lacerations that were plaguing his body.

He caught a glimpse of Shampoo and Ukyo as he passed, and briefly considered them, watching their horrified expressions mar their normally unequalled beauty, and wanted to calm down, but could not. He had to protect them, and destroy these things that wanted so badly to ruin his life. As he flew upward onto the platform, he twisted about in mid-air, still ignoring the tearing he felt in his chest as he shifted, before spiraling down to the tracks and landing low, his body nearly one with the ground, with one arm raised up and behind him, his fingers tensed and extended with the lethal claws looking all the more deadly, and both feet and the other arm set down upon the ground in a large triangle beneath him. He gave one look to the astonished brotherhood, and let loose a low hiss he didn't know he could produce. "You….." He seemed to whisper out, the jaw remaining open for all to see, and not moving as more words were produced. "Are mine!"

Ryoko too watched as the symbiote clad martial artist arrived in a dramatic display of acrobatics before landing before the train. Judging by the two girls' reactions, Ranma had yet to tell them or show them of his alien partner, and she cursed at the complications that provided. She couldn't just let them attack him… She quickly floated down behind the two. "Don't worry, he's alright…"

Ukyo seemed to glance back, tearing her eyes away from the beast for a moment to look at Ryoko, before hastily replacing them on the creature, as if not trusting it, and therefore needing to keep an eye on it at all times. "Is... is that…? Ran-chan?"

Ryoko frowned. "We'll find out." She too, was unsure if this was Ranma, or rather a possession. Better to stay cautious than to find out the hard way.

Another "splat" sounded nearby and the group of girls watched as another figure swung up and around the edge, carrying in his arms a foreign man who was very gruff and unkempt. He was quickly recognized by the trio as Logan, but it left them to guess who the other was.

Logan seemed to spot Ryoko and the others as soon as he landed and rushed over, as if used to being swung around like that. "What's going on?"

Ryoko considered him for a moment, wondering if she should tell him the truth. She didn't trust the man, he had attacked Ranma for seemingly no reason after all, but the more help the better…

"Wolverine!" The other shouted in English, leaving the girls to try and figure out what was said. "Look…"

The group collectively turned their gaze back to Ranma, (whether they knew if it was him or not) and watched as he rose, the hand that was planted on the ground seeming to stick and stretch, leaving a trail of the substance covering him on the ground before it slid hurriedly back into the feet, combining once more with the majority, and his feet shifted closer together so he could stand further upright.

"Lay a hand on them… and die…" It said, its voice once again sounding all but human, and Ryoko noted that no trace of Ranma's voice was even present in this one. "Stay… and the same fate awaits you…" It continued, though this time it's mouth, if possible, seemed to grin wider, almost happy with the prospect of being able to kill. He raised his hands in front of him and let his fingers elongate further, the claws now looking more like enlarged pins than the talons they had been before.

Magneto's brow furrowed for but a moment in distress. This newcomer, who had arrived moments before Wolverine and Spider-man had, was most unsettling. He was no fool, and would not underestimate this one. The look of apprehension from the other group was also somewhat unsettling, but he discarded the thoughts soon after they came. "Unfortunately, that is impossible… we have some things to take care of so if you'll pardon me…" A quick wave of his hand, and every piece of metal that had been gathered in the air swung around to point at the symbiote clad martial artist, and rocketed off at intense speeds toward his person.

But for as fast they were, Ranma was faster. His arms rose in front of him and again the suit flowed forward, spilling across his arms in an endless torrent before apparently splashing against some sort of invisible barrier and spreading before him, sliding noiselessly through the air and forming a wall of the stuff between him and the Brotherhood.

Several loud, wet impacts followed, like someone being shot with a piece of rebar, and the tips of the projectiles Magneto had sent at him erupted through the wall, straining to press further, but they were quickly engulfed by more of the red and black goop, and disappeared altogether.

To the Brotherhood, it appeared as if some sort of liquid wall, similar to Iceman's own creations, flowed from this newcomers arms and protected it and those behind itself, but more surprising was the fact that the various implements of pain Magneto had commandeered were unable to pierce through this wall. However, the biggest surprise came when the wall began to shift, and the blacks and red flowed to create a larger version of the hellish face they had seen before, like some sort of wall monitor.

"Wrong move!" The wall bellowed, and a disturbing laughter filled the area soon after, and before anyone had a chance to react, the body of the creature emerged from this wet, flesh-like barrier, passing through with an uncanny ease, and it was upon them.

It soon became apparent that fighting the thing was an exercise in futility. It was deceptively strong for its rather lean frame, easily overpowering all but Juggernaut, and even the speed the thing possessed easily outmatched even him. It was like some sort of ghost, in an instant it'd be upon them, using its claws to great affect to nick, slice and render its opponents, striking through the flesh and precisely marking both vein and artery, letting their lifeblood flow from their bodies in innumerable small cuts. However, before they could retaliate it had moved on, in its wake though it left tendrils of itself, which still whipped about in a furious rage. While one or two of these wounds would not be too much to worry about, the brotherhood became worried when Mystique passed out onto the ground. Sabertooth was more confident until the thing came upon him, and instead of the small cuts and slices, he was presented with large gouges, the thing tore into him and ripped through muscle and skin alike, as if uncaring for his health. He soon followed; his body tore to such pieces that it was assured anyone without his healing factor would pass within minutes, if that. Even with his healing, it would take some time.

Juggernaut was harder to deal with, but the solution came rather quickly. The monster leapt atop him and was tearing into him from his very person, and he was hard pressed to grab the thing, it was like some sort of enormous insect out to kill him. He suddenly found it clinging to his helmet, trying to remove the thing, and his vision was blocked, but he grinned, knowing he had his opponent. His large, meaty fist clenched into a fist and reared back, preparing to punch atop his head. Unfortunately, what he did not realize was that the creature was already gone, instead using more of it to cover and weigh his head down, and when the moment was right he lifted the behemoth up, and the fist he had swung crashed squarely into his own helmet, and by proxy, face, and consciousness left him.

Ranma hopped away from the large body and surveyed the carnage. Something within him seemed to squeal in delight at the chaos, at the pure havoc of the scene, but he brushed it aside as he looked up towards the remaining member, and cursed under his breath.

Magneto had quickly surmised that this _thing_ had no way of flying, and he rose into the air to avoid the chaos below. He watched silently as he waved his hand, and while everything was simply mass confusion below, the track disassembled itself on a much larger scale, this time everything with quite a distance rising and forming itself into more instruments of pain, this time much sharper and thinner, looking like they could pierce things much easier.

"I care not who are what you are whelp… but know that the master of magnetism will not stand for THIS!" With a sharp gaze, every piece of metal that ha been summoned flew with unbelievable accuracy and speed.

(I was listening to this as I wrote this, kind of a BGM… Let the Battles Begin! Piano Collections Final Fantasy VII)

Ranma only had moments to spring into action as the metal flew at him, his body twisted and contorted in ways that would most certainly be painful if anyone else had attempted them. He also used Kao to the best of his ability, forming a shield like protrusion on his forearm when he was unable to dodge. It was difficult for the symbiote however, as the wall that had been formed before to protect the train and Ranma's fiancée's and friends was still being maintained and blocking both Magneto and the girls from doing something to other.

Ranma winced beneath the liquid mask as several spikes embedded themselves into his chest, and one into his lower back. The punch from Juggernaut had left Ranma's frame extremely fragile, and these spikes were not helping his already painful wounds.

'D-Damnit…' Ranma thought as he made a display of reaching up and grabbing the spikes that had sunk a good amount into his chest, before pulling them out quickly and apparently quite painfully if his inhuman howl of rage was any indication.

"You'll pay for that…" Ranma/Kao hissed, the ever present grin growing even more frightful as it twisted into a visage of anger.

Magneto snorted, and the metal that had flew only moments before rose again. "You stand no chance against me… give it up!"

"Never!" Ranma yelled as he ran forward and jumped into the air before Magneto had a chance to use his powers once more to assault the currently symbiote clad martial artist. Its fist reared back in a powerful punch, not unlike he had only earlier. Magneto only had moments to create a metal barrier in front of him, and again Ranma's fist failed to pierce through the hyper-dense shield of steel in front of Magneto, however the force of this punch was much more powerful, and a large dent in the metal was now stationed where Ranma's fist had struck. Magneto frowned slightly, but with a slight application of his power, the metal was once again in its previous form, looking completely unscathed.

"Please!" Magneto laughed, though that last punch had come awfully close to nailing him in the face. "Your puny attacks are as nothing to me! Give it up, that will never work!"

Ranma grinned, causing the symbiote to do so as well as he stuck to the metal shield, using his new found spider-like powers. "Who said I was trying to hit you in the first place?" The unearthly voice sang out, in a deceptively gleeful tone.

Before Magneto could even consider the words he felt a tug on his leg and looked down to find a strand of the goop that had created the wall only earlier slithering around his leg and securing itself tightly. His opponent leapt from the metal disk and grinned widely as it gripped upon a rope of the slime… which Magneto quickly determined was the same one attached to his person. "No!" He shouted.

"Oh yess…" Ranma hissed out and tugged on the cord, causing Magneto, who hadn't the time to prepare a stronger defense. He soon found himself being swung around in a great circle, and he closed his eyes as the centrifugal forces started to press against him, forcing him taught to the strand holding him. He raised his hand as best he could, and concentrated, and soon the disk that had protected him before swung around through the air and grew thinner and sharper, before cleaving the stuff attached to him in twine, preventing him from being swung around like a rag doll. The result however, was a mutant flying bodily through the air and impacting heavily against the wall that this thing had created only earlier.

Magneto groaned and stood shakily as a coppery taste filled his mouth, as long with a thick, warm liquid. He spit, and his brow furrowed in anger when he saw his blood. "You shall pay for this!" He roared and rose into the air, above the wall and looked down below at the others. A quick raise of his hand and the entire train started to rise with it, separating by care and all turning towards the martial artist standing not several hundred feet away. "Now DIE!"

The train cars hurtled forward, and the sound of screaming rang through the air and Ranma's stomach sank. Akane, Nabiki and Washu hadn't been in the group outside had they!? That meant…

"Fuck." Ranma eloquently put it.

He leapt into the air and, surprising Magneto, straight into the first car through a window. The sounds of crashing came from within before the black and red figure leapt out and into another car, doing so with such quickness that was simply uncanny.

While Magneto watched, he failed to see the small puddle on the ground that connected to the wall slowly grow wider as the wall dissipated, flowing along the ground underneath where the creature had just jumped.

---Inside the second train car---

Ranma cursed loudly as he realized that they once again weren't in this car, he hadn't much time before Magneto decided what to do next with the train… and he didn't want to see. He winced as he prepared to jump out of another window and into the next train car when a burning sensation rose in his chest and he coughed loudly. Some red fluid splattered from his mouth and across the floor, in front of his very eyes. "Shit… Kao…?"

The adrenaline is wearing off… too much and you would be in danger, I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do Host Ranma.

"Damnit…" Ranma muttered, before shaking his head and vaulting through the window as had been the plan originally. He clung to the outside of the next car, which was also sailing through the air, and had a direct course with the ground below. Quickly realizing the speed and force with which he was traveling, he determined he had no more than a few seconds to find the girls. He was lucky that their screaming began anew, and this time he could pinpoint their car, several away from his own, also flying through the air.

Magneto frowned as the screams reached his ears, but paid it no matter. He smiled a cruel, cold-hearted smile as the creature hurriedly shot off in the direction of the screams, in an attempt to save them. "Predictable… you heroes…" Another gesture and the train car that Ranma was after squealed and buckled under an unseen pressure.

The screaming intensified.

Ranma turned to glare at Magneto before leaping to the car and clinging to the side. He looked inside the first window he found, and thanked the gods that he found their cabin. Nabiki was absolutely petrified, and Akane, while not as scared, still looked quite frightened. Washu had a panicked look about her, but still was typing away at her console with fierce determination. Nabiki suddenly looked out the window and screamed louder when she saw Ranma, something that made him wince and shrug it off. He glanced down and realized they were nearing their lethal course with the ground and shook his head in frustration. "They always gotta make this shit difficult…." He muttered as he planted his arms on either side of the window and lowered his feet, grimacing when they came into contact with the ground and painfully skidded across the tracks, breaking through wood and metal alike as the force pushed him back. He struggled to find a good foothold, his feet sliding around crazily as he held the car up with all his might, doing everything he could to slow it down.

Nabiki had calmed once she realized that… creature outside the window was doing it's best to help them. "God… I hope Ranma's alright she sobbed, the stress of the situation finally cracking the cold shell. Akane agreed and embraced her sister, shutting her eyes tightly.

Washu raised a brow and looked out to Ranma. "He's certainly looked better, that's for sure…" She muttered, noting some freshly regenerated parts of his costume that looked similar to bullet wounds, and the red on the costume that was not the symbiote.

"Y-you mean…" Nabiki trailed off and stared at the thing in the window in horror.

"He never told you?" Washu asked, confused.

Nabiki and Akane shared a glance, before looking back and shaking their head.

Washu sighed and prepared to explain when the train buckled again, and this time their cabin shrunk to half its previous size, and the wall from the other side of the train was now pressed against the door of their small room, leaving them trapped within.

"My god…" Washu muttered.

Back outside, Ranma gritted his teeth as he kept sliding backwards. Magneto seemed to have no plans of letting up. 'Little help Kao?' Ranma thought, as he winced as his feet broke through another rail.

Of course The ethereal voice resounded, though it sounded a bit more eager than usual. Ranma filed that away to talk about later. He felt the symbiote within him slither down to his feet, and suddenly shoot out from his feet, and he came to a sudden halt and along with him the train. The car groaned and bent inwards around his hands, as if trying to catch him with a large pincer. Still struggling to hold the thing from the immense force pushing it, Ranma frowned as a recognizable voice sounded from the other side. "Give it up! Maybe if you do I'll decide not to crush your little friends… yet."

'Get real!' Ranma thought as he quickly decided on what to do. 'Shit this is gonna hurt…' He slowly braced his right side, putting more weight into it, and ever so slowly, retracted his left hand from the train. His hand print was easily identifiable in the metal shell of the train, and in response to the lack of support, it squealed in protest once more and bent further, this time the ends coming close to touching him.

More yells of fright came within the cabin, and Ranma realized that the cabin must have been shrinking by the second. He braced himself and concentrated, feeling the symbiote crawl up around his left arm at his command, and melding the fingers together, extending them in a long, wicked looking blade. He had not time to warn them before he stabbed the sword-arm into the hull, quickly making several cuts and loosening up a hunk of the metal, enough so that he could pry it loose. What he was not expecting was the metal door he had created to fly off and slam into his chest, wounding him even further before flying back out of sight. 'Forgot about that magnetic field…' He grumbled to himself.

The lack of the piece of hull caused another shift in the train car as it moaned and squeezed together further.

"Get out!" The voice that was not fully his own called, before planting the other hand back onto the hull to hold it as long as possible. They didn't need more convincing. The girls within quickly scrambled out of the car as fast as they could, those who had not seen Ranma in this form giving him a horrified, scared look before gathering behind him. "You may want to duck…" The creature growled, and they did so obediently, and watched as with a might growl it shifted the train up and over it's head, letting the magnetic field fling it behind him and off into the distance.

Magneto frowned, but with another flick, the other train cars turned towards him once more. "Insolent little worm!" He called.

"Hey, bucket head! I think you're forgetting someone!"

Magneto turned to look at the person who dared call him such, only to receive a splash of some sort of tacky substance in his face.

"Can't control what you can't see can you Maggie!" Spider-man taunted as he aimed his wrists up at the floating figure of Magneto, releasing more of his web fluid.

"Fool! I may not be able to see… but I can still feel the metal!" He called, and Spider-man suddenly screamed in pain as his wrists were constricted very tightly, likely only being held by the enhanced muscle his spider-powers gave him. He quickly used his hands to rip off the web shooters from his wrist, watching in dismay as they shattered and collapsed onto the ground.

"Those cost a lot…" Spider-man said bitterly, only to be interrupted by the gruff voice of Logan.

"Get over it kid… we still got Magneto to deal with." He growled, letting his claws slide out from between his knuckles with a crisp "shlack" of metal sliding against metal.

Magneto pulled at the webbing and managed to get enough of it away so he could see Spider-man and Wolverine. "You will pay huma-" He was cut off by something suddenly pulling him downward at an enormous rate and slamming him into the ground. He screamed as his leg most likely shattered from the force, and rolled over to see what it was. The thing holding his leg appeared to be some sort of toothy maw attached to a red and black tentacle, it's large, gaping mouth was surrounded by more of those needle-like teeth, and it had his angle in it's mouth, where it writhed and shook back and forth, like some sort of dog with a piece of meat. A shadow drew his gaze upward as he watched in fascination as the thing he had been fighting leapt from where he had been standing, all the way over to him, easily clearing fifty feet in the mighty leap. Its feet crashed next to his head dangerously, and for the first time he saw the spikes that had grown off of its feet to give it the stability it needed to hold the train. A clawed hand reached down and grabbed his chest, pulling him up by the nape of his collar. The other hand rose up beside its own head, the claws extending dangerously as they had when the first encountered one another.

Magnus Lensher was not normally one to be afraid, if this had been anyone else, he'd have likely riddled them with metal or the like, but this… It was like some sort of nightmare come to life, come to take his soul for its own. "W-What are you…?"

The thing seemed to grin wider, before the mask quivered and seemed to slide down off of the head of the person. Pure black hair erupted, that was long and tied back in a pigtail, and striking blew eyes met his own. He had a mouth full of blood from the look of it, he was growling dangerously and his eyes glinted with the promise of pain. His teeth were stained a dark red and they ground together in an unhealthy manner. "I'm the same damn person I've always been… just got a new friend to help me take out trash like you!" He roared, before raising his hand and preparing to tear into the face of the mutant below, but a voice called to him before he could stop.

"R-Ranchan! Don't!" Ukyo called. It was the first time she had seen her love and fiancé act as such… and it was truly frightening.

Ranma looked up at Ukyo with rage still burning in his eyes. He wanted to rip this man limb from limb, destroy him utterly. But Ukyo's scared gaze, as well as Shampoo's made him regain some portion of his sanity. "He's just gonna come back if we don't kill him Ucchan…" Ranma muttered, returning his gaze to the mutant.

"You aren't a killer Ranma!" Akane called, running up behind them, tears brimming in her eyes.

"How the hell would you know!?" Ranma shouted, turning to look at his Tendo fiancée. "I killed Saffron… I can kill this guy…"

Spider-man leapt forward and grabbed Ranma's upraised wrist. "Don't! You can't! You're no better than he is if you do that!"

Ranma laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Who's been spoon feeding you that shit? Some movie?" Ranma shook his head. "I kill to save a life… that's what separates me from him…" He muttered.

Wolverine honestly had nothing against offing Magneto; in fact it was probably the right thing to do. But in Ranma's current state, it wasn't healthy. "Kid… you're right, he does deserve to die… but you can't do it… not like this."

The pig-tailed martial artist glared at Logan a moment before sighing. He knew they were right… He couldn't just kill this man in cold blood. He could have sworn he heard someone else talking though… telling him to kill him, gut him, and make an example out of him. 'Musta been my imagination…' Ranma thought.

Kao stayed silent.

"Pathetic!" Magneto spat. "You're all the same... You sh-" He was cut off as Ranma's hand came down upon him. The people around him screamed as he seemed to do as he first intended, before he raised his hand, and everyone realized it was in a fist.

"That guy really pisses me off…" Ranma muttered and rose, ignoring the stares he received.

He turned to Logan and Spider-man and gave them a skeptical glance, before turning to the gathered girls. He smiled softly, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed, the suit dissolving around him and leaving him naked on the ground.

"Ranma!" They all seemed to shout at once and rushed forward. Logan and Spidey too ran forward to see what it was, and gasped at the horrible sight. Without the suit covering him, they saw the wounds easily. His chest was compressed, easily made out from the normal somewhat muscled chest, and shards of bone were jutting out from certain places. Ribs could not really be discerned, it was just like a mass of rods underneath flesh that had no shape or structure. The next noticeable thing was the large holes in his flesh that the metal spikes had caused. Several lay in his front and one was in his lower back; both appeared quite deep and were bleeding heavily. The one in his lower back had a deep brownish-red blood, unlike the brighter blood that flowed from his front. And of course, there were numerable cuts and lacerations all across his skin, joining so many other scars and misshapen pieces of flesh Ranma already had.

"Christ…" Logan muttered. He would recover from that… but the kid's outlook wasn't good.

Washu quickly got on her knees and checked for a pulse, frowning and pulling a metal rod out of her pocket and letting the beam of light it produced pass over his body. Her virtual console appeared next to her with its results. She cursed loudly in an alien language that made Ryoko raise a brow.

"What's up?" Ryoko asked, seemingly less concerned than she truly was.

"He's going to die if we can't get him to my lab, quick…" She muttered.

"But… there's a hospital a little ways away, wouldn't it be better if they-"Akane was cut off by Washu's deliberate shaking of the head. "But… why?"

"They don't have his blood type…" Washu responded enigmatically.

"Whaddya mean they don't have his blood type?" Logan asked, gruff and uncouth as ever.

Washu shook her head, but failed to respond further. "Ryoko, get Ryo-ohki, and quick. We need her to take Ranma back to the lab…"

"Wait, whatta bout these jerks?" Logan asked. He gestured his hand to the fallen Brotherhood, and the group collectively turned to look upon their fallen bodies. But one was now reviving, all be it slowly. The behemoth, Juggernaut.

"Lousy little…" He muttered, one hand going to his head, which was still ringing loudly. He slowly rose to his feet, and visibly grimaced when he saw Magneto had fallen. It soon disappeared however, when he saw that the thing that had taken him out was gone, leaving only Wolverine, Spider-man, and those other people who had seemed to stick around, though two new members had arrived that he had not seen before.

The Juggernaut rotated his neck, which crunched with an unhealthy ring to it, and then popped his knuckles in the same manner. "Right… pay back time…" He muttered, however it was loud enough for the group to hear, and even those who didn't understand English understood what it was he said.

Logan quickly crouched and raised his fists, with his still extended claws in plain sight. Spider-man grimaced beneath his mask, and got into a low stance as well. He didn't have his web shooters, and while in this situation he doubted any of his fluid would slow this giant down, it was still unsettling.

"Stop." Washu commanded behind them, and Logan and the disguised Peter turned around and both watched as something similar to Iron Man's summoning of a weapon. At first, white squares rippled through the air in a rough shape, before a glowing silhouette of the weapon materialized and finally appeared in its entirety. It was gigantic, to say the least. It appeared to be some sort of shoulder mounted energy cannon, appearing larger than it was mostly because of the fact that currently, a 12 year old (in appearance) girl was wielding it. "I suggest you stand down before you do something you regret." She said in a serious tone, still speaking in Japanese, but hoping the message got across.

It apparently did as Juggernaut sneered and took several steps forward. "Think that'll stop me? No gun can stop the Juggernaut little girl…"

Washu didn't understand a word of it (she'd remedy that soon) but saw his intent and raised the weapon to the sky, letting off a shot. The beam was a magnificent white, shining as brightly as the sun as it pierced through the air at rapid speed. Its glow seemed to diffuse into the air, lighting the mid-morning sky even brighter than it had been on that day. It finally reached its peak and at some unknown signal, exploded in a marvelous display of pyrotechnics and destruction. If the collected super powered beings had thought it was bright before, they realized it was nothing compared to this. All were forced to look away as everything seemed to go white, their shadows becoming seemingly painted on the ground in bright contrast to the brightness around it, but as soon as it had happened, it was gone.

The Juggernaut took a step back as Washu lowered the gun to point at him. She said nothing, but didn't have to.

'Better leave but… what about the others?' Ran through his mind. He was nearly invulnerable, but that blast was as unsettling as a gun had ever been to him, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. He looked to the other incapacitated mutants and quickly realized he didn't really care about the safety or health of any of them, until he paused at Magneto. Knowing him, he wouldn't take too kindly to the Juggernaut abandoning him, and he certainly didn't want to make him an enemy as well. "This ain't over…" He growled out, before running to the side, snatching Magneto's body up as if it was nothing at all, and leapt off of the platform on which the track was raised, his body rapidly falling and landing with a resounding crash, before his loud footsteps faded.

"Some gun ya got…" Logan muttered in Japanese, now eyeing the little girl warily.

"Actually we're kinda lucky, this thing is only good for one shot!" Washu said happily, before letting go of the weapon and letting it dematerlize as in a similar fashion as it had appeared.

"Y-you mean…" Ukyo stuttered out, eyes widening.

Washu nodded happily. "He didn't call my bluff!"

A slight shimmering in the air caught all of their attention as a slightly weary looking Ryoko reappeared, clutching something tightly to her chest. Most of the group hadn't realized that just before the Juggernaut had been rising, she had finally mustered up the energy to teleport back to get her cabbit. Short distance teleports were as nothing to her, but the long range ones quickly became far more weakening, and she doubted she could go much further without seriously exhausting herself.

"Where's this Ryo-ohki!?" Nabiki demanded. She was growing worried about Ranma's condition, which had been momentarily forgotten.

"Right here!" Ryoko said happily, holding out what had been previously hidden in her arms. Before her face was shown to be a small, furry creature, resembling some sort of rabbit with cat-like eyes and whiskers.

"Miyah!" Ryo-ohki said happily in greeting.

"And how is THAT supposed to help get Ranma to the lab?" Nabiki asked, her brow twitching uncontrollably, and much to her relief she was backed up by the other girls, who agreed with her previous statement rather vocally.

"Miyah miyah!" Ryo-ohki meowed in a rather put off fashion, much perturbed by their casual disregard.

"Oh hush." Ryoko said, smiling down at her spaceship. "Show em what you can do Ryo-ohki!" Ryoko shouted, and happily threw the small rodent up into the air.

"What, you toss it around and it teleports us to her lab?" Nabiki dryly commented, but was only given a smirk from Ryoko in response. Ryoko turned her head up to the sky, as did the rest whom had been paying attention to the comment, and her statement was soon retracted (mentally, Nabiki wasn't about to forgive for something she did). The small creature seemed to explode in a series of crystalline spikes, colored dark grays and blacks. The core of the thing seemed to be some sort of perfect, red sphere, crystalline in appearance as well. The whole thing was perfectly symmetrical, with spikes going out in four directions before rising at an angle above the ship, while the rest jutted out to the side or down below. The thing was most definitely larger that the small creature should have been able to turn into, defying laws of science.

"Well… that's certainly… unique." Spider-man stated, unsure of what to think of a small rat that turned into some sort of ship.

Logan grunted in reply.

A beam shot down from the bottom of the ship, reminding most of a typical stereo type from alien movies, of the tractor beam that sucked up the things it shined on. It quickly focused on Ranma, who shimmered and vanished in a manner similar to Ryoko had, before taking Ryoko in as well. It was about to proceed to Washu when it was halted by a shout.

"Hey!? Where are you going, we're coming too!" Ukyo stated loudly, refusing to be separated from her fiancé.

"Shampoo too! She no leave Airen's side!" The mangled Japanese caused all to wince, but the message was clear enough. 

Washu sighed in an annoyed manner before nodding. "Fine fine, take them first Ryo-ohki.

The spaceship appeared to hear her as the beam altered its course from its previous destination, and one by one transported each of the four women now competing over one man aboard.

"We ain't goin nowhere either, that kid has questions to answer." Logan stated, refusing to be swayed. Peter would have agreed, but he understood nothing of what's going on, so instead interrupted Logan.

"Er, what about the rest of the Brotherhood?" Peter asked, turning to look at the fallen mutants.

Logan grimaced, and turned back to Washu. "And I don't suppose you got a place to lock them up for a little bit? We can get them outta your hair within a couple hours, gotta real fast plane comin who'll take em."

Washu considered it, before nodding, albeit reluctantly. "Fine fine… Ranma probably won't like it but you do have questions, and those powers these people possess will make for some great experiments! Go ahead and grab em and we'll take you aboard." She said, before the beam engulfed her and took her aboard as well.

"What!? You're letting them go!?" The wall crawler nearly shouted, irate at the long time friend and mutant.

"Yeah right…" Logan responded, walking over to the bodies and pulling Sabertooth across the broken ground, scraping him further but not really caring, and pulling him alongside Avalanche, whom he also grabbed. "She's gonna let us come to talk to the kid, she's gonna secure these three before the Blackbird comes, Gambit and Beast can take care of 'em then. Grab her will ya?"

Peter blinked beneath his mask, and as he walked over to the body, asked a question of his friend, "I thought you came in the Blackbird?"

Logan shook his head and watched as the beam circled about and headed to him. "Nah, I was itching to get outta the mansion so the Professor let me go out on a commercial jet, I took the soonest flight, that place seems like a prison sometimes." Anything else Spider-man wished to ask would have to wait, because Logan and the two he was carrying were suddenly engulfed in a pale yellow light, and disappeared.

He shook his head, realizing that the universe was still a really, really big place. He grabbed the blue skinned mutant as the beam made the short journey to him and absorbing him as well.

Teleporting via that beam was not a fun experience and not something he wanted to repeat in the near future he discovered, as the moment his feet touched the floor again he bent over and retched, the nauseating feeling of returning to physical space twisted his insides and sense of balance.

"Wuss." Logan remarked, sliding the two he had been carrying across the floor of the ship and letting their heads crash rather painfully into the wall. Good thing they were unconscious.

Spiderman retched for a moment, fearing he was going to vomit, and after a few seconds, thanked whatever powers that be that he hadn't. A full mask did not make for a fun barrier when something came back up. Grumbling once again about super-human healing, Peter discarded the unconscious body of Mystique down by the others that Logan had carelessly tossed, and went to join him. "So…" He began, taking his first real look around their position.

They were in a circular room, with exits at three places equidistant from each other. Some sort of boarding room Peter decided. The walls were a deep pinkish-red, and a slightly closer inspection revealed that they seemed to be made of some sort of crystal, much similar to the material they had seen before from when they saw the ship from the outside.

A voice sounded from behind them. "You guys gonna sit around there and admire her?"

The voice was Japanese, so Peter still had no idea what was being said, but a quick glance at Logan told him what he needed to know. Logan inclined his head toward the woman, a rather alien looking woman of teal hair and yellow eyes. Logan of course recognized her from the day before, but Peter still had not been introduced.

"Let's go." He grunted, leaving Peter still lost and confused as ever, but following for lack of other things to do.

They arrived in what they assumed to be the "cockpit" as there was a main viewing screen that showed the surface of Japan as it appeared from several hundred feet up, however it was in a blur of motion, and they realized, quite surprisingly, that they were moving very fast, with little to no of the effects of the motion on them. Peter immediately decided that yes, perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing. The scientist in him was absolutely astounded at the discoveries, even with all the things he had thus far seen.

"Man Reed would go crazy if he saw some of this..." Peter muttered, causing Logan to turn and gave him a knowing smirk.

The main seat at the center of the viewing screen was occupied by the teal haired female they had seen moments earlier, but the majority of the people present were surrounding some sort of raised platform, where the soft muttering of the scientist could be heard, quite frustrated by the sound of it too.

"I'm a scientist not a doctor..." She grumbled, cursing the fool-hardy boy beneath her hands as she tried her best to slow the bleeding, and isolate already problematic areas, mainly his ribs, but several areas on his back and spine were damaged too.

Logan immediately gestured to Peter and they headed over, hoping to at least get some answers from someone.

"We headed to the shrine?" Ryoko called out, causing Washu to pause for a moment and look up for her work

"Yes, I need to take him to the lab, I don't have the tools here, and I can only do some minimal things..."

"But you can save him right?" Ukyo asked with a pleading and desperate look in her eyes.

Washu didn't look up or respond, something that was not lost on any of the man suitors present.

"Juggs hit him pretty hard... few people I know can take that hit and recover, I'm one of the only ones really..." Logan grunted, shoving aside some of the now frustrated girls to get a good look at the kid, and wincing. The large fist of the Juggernaut had apparently made some sort of imprint in Ranma's chest, covering about half of his upper torso with mottled bruises and chunks of bone. "Dunno if the kid can recover, at least not without some help..." He muttered in Japanese, before switching to English to speak to Spiderman. "Think that the Avengers or maybe Reed could patch him up? I dunno if anything the professor or beast's got can fix this..."

Peter too made his way close, giving weak apologies at the angry looks he got as he pushed his way forward. He nearly gagged under his mask, but managed to restrain it. "Er... man. The kids really knocked up... I dunno, Reed doesn't really deal with this sort of thing, and I never really hung out at the Avenger's mansion, but I heard that they have some stuff to help..."

Logan nodded in deep thought, watching curiously as Washu continued her scanning and efforts to try to identify all the damage done with her various scanning and electronics that she seemed to be able to summon at any time.

"We think we may know a place that we can take the kid… it's over in New York though." Logan stated with a firm conviction behind his voice that dared Washu, or anyone for that matter, to interrupt and decline.

Washu however seemed unperturbed by his display. "Look, I know you're trying to help, but you can't. You have no idea what you're dealing with here!" Washu shouted, the pressure the girls and these two foreigners now stacking up and taking its toll.

"Then just what are we dealing with?" Logan asked. His voice bore no room for playing or lies, and he portrayed that with crystal clarity.

Washu sighed and shook her head, growing exasperated. "I don't even know and that's the worst part!" Her hands rose up to her head and the console she had been typing on disappeared to places unknown. "I've only had one scan on him, and even less time to actually analyze everything that was collected, but I know for a fact that if we give him to the hospital or whoever you're thinking of, they won't want to give him back."

"Why's that, sugar?" Ukyo asked of the scientist.

Washu glanced to her direction and paused, a pregnant silence filling the room before she responded. "Because I'd do the same thing."

Silence reigned for several moments before shouts of anger were released from the girls. Logan paused and used the brief moment he had to explain to Peter just what was happening. Ryoko was cursing her luck and wishing she could travel faster through the sky without attracting too much attention from the populous below (Tenchi had made it clear that she wasn't to attract too much attention).

"Whaddya mean you'd do the same!? Are you trying to kidnap my Ranchan?"

"Your Ranchan? Since when did he become your Ranchan?"

"Ranma's always been my Ranchan!"

"Airen no belong to chef! He belong with Shampoo!"

"Fat chance you Chinese bimbo!"

The shouting soon degraded into far worse insults being flung between the small group of women, causing Washu to briefly glance at Ryoko and remember her daughter's squabbles with that Ayeka over Tenchi. It seemed that these people resorted less on violence and more on words…

Ukyo pulled the enormous spatula from her back and growled at Shampoo as the amazon took up a stance.

… or maybe she just spoke too soon. Washu sighed.

Logan immediately sprang on the opportunity. "Whaddya mean? This kid a mutant or something? That isn't anythin' we haven't seen before." He stated, looking down at the scientist with doubt in his eyes.

Washu shook her head and explained. "No… I already know of you mutants… fascinating really… just a few simple genetic alterations and such powers can be released, and on such a broad scale too… the same gene can result in a wide variety of-"

Logan cleared his throat purposefully.

"… Oh all right you spoil sport." She frowned cutely for a moment before continuing. "Ranma has something happening right now… I can't explain it yet, it defies everything I've studied… right now, as we're talking, his genetic structure is changing. I don't know how long it has been happening or how long it will last…"

"So he's becoming a mutant?"

Washu shook her head, she was quite clearly frustrated. "No no no… You see, you only have one or two genes that have mutated, resulting in you being a… well… mutant. No offense-"

"None taken"

"- But Ranma's entire genealogy is changing. His body is seemingly just rebooting itself if you will… and everything old is being flushed out, and it's starting from scratch, trying to improve itself… It goes against anything and everything I've studied about genetics… it shouldn't be possible!"

Peter took that moment to speak up. "What'd she just say?"

"The kids changing." Logan responded, leaving a lot that should have been said floating away.

"Oh."

The fight between the various fiancées and suitors died out at Washu's voice. "S-so what's happening to him?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't know… but I can almost guarantee that he'd become a guinea pig in some lab if he was treated by humans." Of course, he'd be the same under her, just treated somewhat better. Somewhat.

"So that red and black…stuff on him? That was because of this change?"

Washu shook her head again... "No, that's-

"What I am." A voice behind them interrupted. Kao had enough of simply waiting in the background and being unable to defend or confirm any suspicions and accusations made about his host, and decided to make his appearance at this moment. Several gasps of surprise sounded, and Washu looked upset at being cut off. "Forgive me for the rather dramatic introduction…" The chaotic creature said "But I felt it necessary for me to make an appearance now. You may call me Kao, it is what Host Ranma refers to me as and I think it best we continue in that manner." The voice was polite and well spoken, but that did not make it nice. It was like some sort of twisted version of Ranma's own, except cold and monotonous, no emotion being displayed at all, simply cold, calculating logic.

"W-what…" Peter stumbled over his words and took a step back. He was unable to understand the things words, but its appearance was enough.

If Kao could have sighed, he would have. His host seemed to like putting him in these situations. Something to be remedied, for sure. Switching to English so that Peter could understand, he spoke, "I'm sure my appearance reminds you of someone Spider-man… someone who has been troubling you for some time. The stuff of your nightmares correct? I would be lying if I stated that the symbiote you wore is not of my kind, but I assure you I am not him."

"T-then…"

"I am its child, the supposed successor to my parent's false legacy. Unfortunately he had not expected be to inherit more traits from you than he."

"What do you mean…?" Peter was obviously still skeptic, and most likely would be for a long time.

"With great power…" The symbiote left the sentence unfinished. It held enough meaning for wall crawler. "This is why I chose him." A small nod to the unconscious teen. "Why I decided that he would be my host."

Peter said nothing.

The other girls, sans Shampoo, Washu, and Ryoko, were able to understand the just of what was being said, and considered the symbiote's words carefully. Even Nabiki was unable to detect deceit in the things voice, but the way it spoke, the cold and cruel logic being so openly displayed unnerved them all.

Washu, though unable to understand, just gave it a cold hard stare. "You knew didn't you?"

Kao turned to Washu and gave her an unreadable expression before nodding. "Yes, I knew."

"We need to talk."

Kao nodded, only a slight dip of its head, but it was enough. "Regardless, le me answer some questions... I'm sure that some of you are curious as to what I am..."

"That's an understatement..." Nabiki grumbled

Kao ignored her. "I am an alien symbiotic life form, designed to enhance and improve upon my host. In order to live however I need to bond with a suitable host. I found Ranma after a long trek to find such a host, and after bonding he accepted me and I have been with him ever since."

"When did you bond with him...?" Akane asked of the symbiote.

Kao turned to her with his white, ovoid eyes. "Some months ago. Before your "school" was finished."

Akane and Ukyo both took a glance at each other. That was quite some time ago... it had been with him since then?

"W-why Airen no tell Shampoo?"

"He felt in necessary to conceal my existence as he believed you would not understand, and would react in a less than reasonable manner. Coupled with the fact that he did not want to draw more attention to himself than necessary, as he would attract people like them." A nod to the two well renowned super heroes.

"B-but then couldn't-"

"Hate to break up this touching discussion." Ryoko interrupted. "But we're here."

Kao gave a short bow, exaggerated and almost mocking. "I must bid you all farewell, Host Ranma is still of my primary concern and I must assist with his recovery." A nod to Washu and the figure simply collapsed like a flood of water and a shadow-like puddle slid rapidly along the crystal floor and then back up to Ranma's body, melting into his skin and disappearing altogether. 

Washu didn't even give them so much as a goodbye, and with a command, she and Ranma both faded in a glow.

"Hey, come back here!"

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Come back with airen!"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch; she just took him to the lab..." Ryoko said, and with a button, they all were captivated with a nauseating feeling and glow, and then appeared beside a rather large home on the edge of a lake, with a floating jungle like bath house floating above part of the lake.

"Well that's different." Peter stated. Logan gave him a rueful grin.

"Trust me; you don't wanna go into the lab when Washu's in there...anyway... I'm off to see Tenchi!" Ryoko floated away, leaving two super-heroes, a group of girls, and a small number of unconscious super villains standing (or laying) on a dock with a crystalline spaceship floating above them.

Logan took a look around and smelled the air, immediately assaulted by the pleasant scent of pure nature, unpolluted and contaminated by society. "I like it."

"How can you be calm!? We were just dumped God knows where and I can't understand a word of what anything is saying! The guy we were supposed to be saving is gone, and now we got left on a dock in the middle of a lake with no way to travel, except this weird rodent spaceship. How can you be calm!?" Needless to say, Peter was nearly livid. God if Mary Jane ever found out... she'd be livid. Logan just grunted in response.

"What would worrying do for us now?'Sides, it's not like it's a bad place." His pocket erupted in vibrations and a rather loud and obnoxious tone. He seemed to not notice before realizing everyone was staring and he quickly retrieved the cell phone and answered. "Yeh?" A moment of silence as he listened to the other line. "Really? Huh... Guess I'd better go ask..." He took a quick glance around, and spotted a young boy, perhaps a year or so younger than Ranma and jogged to catch up to him. He switched to Japanese to talk to the boy, who was carrying a large knapsack of carrots on his back and wearing rather simple clothes. "Oi, you know a place where a big jet can land around here?"

Now Tenchi, who had no idea who this American was, immediately became rather dumbfounded. "Er... over in the carrot fields I guess but..."

"Thanks" Logan said and brushed the pony-tailed youth off, turning around to talk on the phone again. "Yeh they got a place. Some carrot farm or something. Couple hours? Got it, see ya then Hank." And he collapsed the phone and put it back in his pocket.

As Logan ran off, Nabiki turned to Spider-man and gave him a once over. "So what's with the spandex?"

Peter turned back to the group of Japanese (and one Chinese) girls and immediately grew rather flustered. He rarely stuck around in costume this long, and he knew the question was bound to pop up sooner or later. "Uhm... well it's to protect my identity..."

"That explains the mask, not the outfit sugar."

Peter's mouth opened and closed several times in a fish like manner, and it was only Logan's voice that saved Peter from embarrassment. "Hey, Spider." He called to grab his attention. "Looks like Beast and Gambit are a couple of hours off, they'll be landing here to take a look at the kid."

The wall crawler nodded, glad to not be the center of attention.

"Who's coming?" Nabiki interrupted the response, eager to get some sort of idea as to what was going on.

Logan gave the nosey girl an irritated glance. "Some friends."

"More mutants?"

"Why you got something against us?" Logan growled out.

Nabiki quickly shook her head and backed off, her hands in a placating gesture. "No no! Just wondering what else to expect is all…"

Logan gave her an unreadable glance, before turning back to Peter. "We got nothing else to do but wait til then…"

"Would anyone like some snacks?" Everyone turned, somewhat startled, to find a young, early teenaged girl smiling at them, holding a tray of various cookies and some glasses of an unknown liquid. The girl had a very innocent look about her, with her bright blue hair, and the most stunningly pink eyes anyone had ever seen. Her smile made them all do so in return, and any sort of harsh thoughts seemed to be discarded. Peter was, of course, in the dark about what was going on.

'Okay, next thing on my list, learning Japanese.' The wall crawler thought bitterly, sighing in frustration.

"Ryoko told me we had guests… I thought I would bring some food out… but if you don't want it…" Sasami started turning, thinking the lack of reaction was because they did not appreciate her hospitality, but several loud shouts stopped her.

"No no!" Akane said, rushing up to her. "We just... weren't expecting anyone. I'd love to have some, thank you very much."

Sasami turned and smiled, immediately liking her. "Okay!"

Washu entered her lab with the floating body in tow, immediately heading towards a less used section of her lab where she kept her tools for surgery and the like. Mostly dissection, but still, never knew when she might need to operate, like now…

"Get out here now." She demanded, not even taking a glance to see if Kao had actually extracted itself.

"What?"

She had not expected such a quick response, but restrained her jump of surprise and kept moving. "You knew all along!? You knew that this was happening didn't you!?"

"As I stated earlier, yes, I knew everything." Kao's cold voice responded from behind her. She cared not to look.

"Did you do this?"

Kao kept staring at the mane of red hair, his unflinching gaze holding no compassion. "No, it was already in progress when I bonded with host Ranma."

Washu now turned, with her expression furious. "Then why didn't you tell anybody?! Have you even told Ranma!? Tried to stop it?"

Kao was not intimated. "No one needed to know, and as far as I have observed, the changes have not been negative in any way. Seeing this, I found no reason to tell Host Ranma and cause him more grief. I have tried to aid the changes as much as possible, but it is difficult with my limited knowledge of the human genome."

"You ACCELERATED it!? Do you have any idea what sort of havoc could be caused by accelerating such drastic mutations!? You could have already signed his death warrant! You're lucky he's not dead!"

"As I stated earlier, all changes recorded were in no way negative, and all beneficial. Accelerated nerve impulses, increase in muscle mass and bone density, toughening of skin, all positive traits."

"For someone breeding a monster!"

"Host Ranma would agree with me I believe when I say that every one of these traits would make him a better fighter."

"To fight what?" Washu hissed, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"To fight for the greater good, destroy all that is wrong with society." Kao's already emotionless voice seemed to grow colder and he returned her frosty gaze.

"What do you mean greater good?"

Kao almost grew an amused expression. "Tell me Washu, if you had to kill one child, your own child in fact… to save the lives of countless other beings… would you? Could you kill that child in cold blood to help so many more others? Other children, other people, all with their very own hopes, dreams and goals?"

Washu's eyes widened in sheer terror. Her history with her own children already so fragile, what Kao was asking was simply akin to murder. "No! Of course not! That's… That's-"

"The right thing to do." Kao cut her off. "One life in return for others? There should be no question. Instead there is something you, and most other species, hold in common. The emotion, it clouds your judgment, makes you blind to what the right thing to do is."

"NO!" Washu screamed, throwing away any pretense to be diplomatic. "That's wrong… almost evil! You should find another way… another possibility of-"

"Then more would die, and the trade is not so even." Kao responded. "Dozens for Dozens makes no sense, can you not see that?"

"But to take a life…"

"Unfortunate but necessary."

Washu glowered at the sym- no the monster before her and grit her teeth. "You… you're a monster… how would Ranma ever accept something like you? Is he this twisted as well!? Did he really intend to kill whoever that was?"

"Magneto? Yes. Of course some adrenaline and extra hormones were added but-"

"WHAT!?" Washu became incredulous. "You… you don't deserve to exist… as soon as he wakes up, I'm telling him-"

"Nothing." Kao's eyes narrowed now. "The well being of my host is my number one concern."

"What about what he thinks?"

"If it is for the best for him than he does not need to know."

"I can get you out myself then." Washu retorted.

"You can't, and won't. If you attempt to I'll be forced to do things to Ranma… unpleasant things."

"You wouldn't" Washu tried to call Kao's bluff…

"I would, and then Ryoko would be my next host. I suggest you forget everything that happened here Washu. I dislike threats directed towards me and my host; if necessary I will take measures to make sure you do not interfere again." Kao spit out, his voice growing more menacing. "Ever."

Washu's teeth ground in her mouth. She didn't have enough data to be able to capture the symbiote yet, and most certainly did not want to risk harming Ranma. "This isn't over." She growled.

Kao said nothing and retreated back within Ranma's form, slithering into his body and disappearing for the moment.

Staring for several seconds more, Washu cursed loudly before continuing to escort the figure within the stasis shield, swearing that she would find a way to solve this.

An indeterminate amount of time later

Ranma's eyes twitched, and then squeezed tighter shut as consciousness, as well as the pain, returned to him. He raised his hand to his head and swore loudly, feeling his chest wrapped tight in something and feeling like it was half the size it should be. Opening his eyes slowly, he winced when he saw that his chest had been bound in some sort of cloth, and was splotched heavily with reds and browns, fresh and dried blood.

"Anyone get the number of that truck…?" Ranma muttered, grumbling as he tried to sit up, and had to bite his lip to stop the scream of pain that rose from his chest. He tasted a warm, metallic liquid and realized he had caused himself to bleed he had bit so hard. "Damnit…"

"Stay still… you aren't even supposed to be awake you know." A weary, slightly taunting voice sounded out from somewhere beside him.

He grunted and turned to see a young Washu busily working with some bottles and a console, typing away before examining something. "What…did I?"

"You passed out… and for good reason too! You should be dead!" She turned and shook her head. Ranma immediately saw the changes in her face. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair was slightly frazzled, indicating she had been up for quite some time.

"You did this?" He asked, nodding down to his chest. A nod confirmed his suspicion. He gave her one of the deepest, heartfelt smiles he could. "Thanks…"

It was a simple act, but Washu smiled demurely in response. She never really did get thanked for her work.

"So what's the diagnosis doc? Er, Washu-chan?"

She giggled, snapped from her reverie. "You got busted up pretty good." She waggled her finger at him condescendingly. "Don't go do that sort of thing again! You've lost a lot of blood, broke most of your rips, and almost completely tore your lung open… not to mention all the cuts, lacerations and other bruising…"

"Am I gonna make it?" The question was more serious.

Washu turned to him, giving him a hard look. "Of course, after all, I am the greatest scientist in the universe." She broke out into laughter and caused Ranma to lay his head back and exhale rather loudly, not in exasperation, but relief. That fight… he knew that they wouldn't fall for the same things again. He also knew that they weren't going all out, if they had. He brushed the thought away before it took a less favorable path.

"Ranma… we need to talk though."

"What's up?"

Washu frowned at something he couldn't tell, before nodding and looking at him in the eye. "Ranma… you're evolving."

Well there it is, after too long a hiatus. Sorry all, this should have been done a month or so ago, but I moved into college and now it's midterms yadda yadda excuses excuses. Anyway, some of you were saying that you thought my fics are dead… I just want to let everyone know that I plan on either finishing, or getting to a point where I can stop and not leave anything hanging before stopping, too many fics have gone unfinished, so when I'm not updating, bug me. I will work on it, I'm not gonna leave you all hanging.

In other news, I've decided I didn't like the way this fic was going. More to the point, I didn't like the way Ranma and Ryoko interacted and met, and the whole 'Kao' persona. This is why I plan on starting a major rewrite for this fic, already started on the first chapter, in which I plan on trying on squeezing all the fanon out of me and making it as close to canon as possible, establishing DISTINCT points in time for the Tenchi and Marvel universe, have some meetings and relationships go different ways, and remove the symbiote's personality, keep Brock alive, and make them more like the comics. (You can sense them if you try, but if you don't really think about it you can't tell it's alive, Peter didn't know until Reed told him.)

It should be done a bit quicker; I plan on having Ranma's first few weeks with the symbiote done too so he can figure it out and such. Otherwise, the same basic plot will continue up until this point, so don't be worried about anything too drastic. Suggestions and comments are, as always, accepted and appreciated.

Ja -Chris "Gundraw" Norris

Omake by Gundraw

Ranma… You're evolving."

"W-What!?"

"Press B to stop this process!" A voice suddenly resounded, and Ranma found himself surrounded by bright light, and some weird, 8-bit music playing in the background. He then felt his muscles and bones shifting, not painfully, but it was rather disconcerting as he felt his balance, power, and very sense of being shift. The light faded and Ranma was once again able to see himself…

"Congratulations! Your boy type Ranma evolved into Girl type Ranma!"

"AW HELL NO."


	12. AN for Chapter 11

AN for chapter 11

I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this but my weak will has forced you all to play my hand.

Everyone is complaining about how Kao is turning, and I'm genuinely surprised a lot of you didn't get it. Kao isn't going to make good on his threat, he does genuinely care for and want to protect Ranma, but his views are a little skewed, this is the thing that helped create the monster that is Carnage, he just has a very skewed perception, these symbiote's were never designed to actually be "good" it is pure luck that it happened to be so. Regardless, Kao was bluffing, and Washu didn't call the bluff. Kao is still very skeptical of the TM crew, especially Washu and her experiments, and he does not want his host to go through anything he doesn't want to. So knowing, he dealt with it the best way he knew how, through force and threats. Washu was especially susceptible considering the thing about children, with her past.

Though Kao does believe in "the ends justify the means" He wants to protect lives, but it does not have feelings to the extent we do, the symbiote's are showed as having them, and it only has minor effects on the host, but I imagine that these things are meant for death and destruction, not to save lives, as Kao stated. And what Kao wanted Ranma to do is what it believes, that if he didn't kill the brotherhood, they would continue. Of course they will, but that's where the gray area occurs.

As I see it, Ranma didn't really have any trouble killing Saffron, he was actually quite and willing to do so, though he needed the incentive. Ranma would never resort to that sort of thing usually, but if the time called for it, he would. In this case, Akane, Nabiki, and Washu (to a much lesser degree) where nearly killed and the same reaction occurred, but Kao was assisting through hormones and adrenaline, but that's all Kao can do, make Ranma a bit more irritable and quick to act (if it's possible to make him quicker to act). Regardless, Ranma was willing to, but what Logan said came through and Ranma realized that killing in that bloodlust like state would not be healthy.

Kao does not have complete control over Ranma, nor will he ever. In the next chapter, Ranma was going to confront Kao and a clash over their ideas was going to occur, and Kao would eventually have to give in, knowing that he would not be able to find another host (he doesn't even know if bonding with Ryoko is possible, he doesn't know what race she is).

Rorax: Yes I know, and it's a bit difficult to mesh considering the other universe (specifically marvel) that I'm having to combine. Consider that Marvel already has a galactic view in place and I'm suddenly inserting the TM crew, I have to make some assumptions and tweaks. In this case, Earth was never really cared about by most of the galaxy, specifically Jurai and those associated with the empire, thus it comes as a surprise that these sorts of beings exist. The thing with Washu is true, but then there'd be no real conflict would there? So I'm having to scale her back a bit, for the time being, so that the characters can actually begin to deal with things on their own terms before she starts really showing what she's capable of, the Juggernaut thing was only really for show, she could have dealt with him in an instant if she so desired. And the Magneto I'm using is the one from the comics, who has by and large been really underplayed through popular media. In the movies and TV shows, it showed him struggling with things like moving the golden gate bridge and such, but the canon Magneto is ridiculously powerful, and doing something like that would be of almost no effort to him. He has almost complete control over magnetism, hence Washu's surprise. Washu could probably replicate it if she so desired, but had no real reason to, she will probably try to now that she sees it as a challenge to her genius. And yes, Ryoko could have mopped the floor with them. But she wasn't worried, because she could have mopped the floor with them. I think I forgot to post it but I said to one of my pre-readers that she was essentially trying to have Ranma taken down a peg or two because he was pissing her off and he needed his head to deflate a bit, she would not have let Ranma or anyone else die. But considering she also could not tell the extent of Ranma's wounds, as Kao was covering him, she didn't think it to be too serious. She also was overestimating Ranma. Ranma will soon discover that Ryoko outclasses him by a lot, Ranma now has the strength (Spidey is a Class 15, Venom is Class 20 or so, and canon Carnage is class 40, he can overpower both at once, but along with Ranma's inherent strength, this will probably be 45 to 50.) He is stronger than her, and most likely physically faster. But Ryoko has nearly unlimited energy, the ability to fly, teleport, and her swords and such. Defeating Ranma would be as simple as floating above his jumping range and bombarding him til he was dust. And Ranma will not be happy.

Dumbledore: Romantic drama won't really be an issue, it'll be mostly romantic comedy, and the pairings are really preliminary regardless. And yes, I'm starting to agree about Washu… Anyway, the center of the fic for the next few arcs is not about the romance at all, though relationships will change and new doors will open and such, but don't expect Ranma to start dating or telling someone he loves them for a long time.

C. Rose: Hey the same goes with you, I'm still waiting eagerly for Golden Opportunity (though don't rush it). But trust me, when I start a fic I have every intention of finishing it, regardless the time taken, and I want all my readers to know that too. Too many fics, good, bad, long, short, or whatever have gone unfinished so I have every intention of finishing mine so people aren't thinking back to my fics saying "man I wonder what would've happened…" I'm always upset when I find a really good fic and find out the author hasn't been around for a long time. Though I'm running out of fics to read, not too many new good ones are being written and too few good ones are completed, reading the partials is always depressing if I like it.

Anyways, I hope that this answers some questions. As it is, I'm trying to squeeze all the fanon out of me and trying to keep everything as canon as possible as everything starts to diverge. I've had this specific encounter planned for some time now however so I doubt I'll be changing it, it's really needed for some character development and conflicts to emerge in the future, which will drive the story. As I said though, I want to rewrite the fic without the 'Kao' personality, it's getting annoying and I'm finding out that some future events would be hard to do with that character, and am going to try and get it back to the standard symbiotic being that just has a slight empathetic link. Some things will go differently as well (such as this event, it will never happen if the being has no personality) And I'll probably keep Brock alive. Though I dislike the character, He is needed for some things and would probably have been better off kept alive. I already have part of the first chapter written, and as dogbertcarroll suggested, and I already thought of, I'll be posting it as a new story and let people judge between the two.

Let me repeat though what I said above, Kao is NOT going to be evil, and has absolutely no plans to actually hurt Ranma if Washu tries to remove him. He just wants what's best for his host, and has a harder time understanding the moral implications between things, that'll change however as Ranma confronts Kao about it and gives him a piece of his mind. Ranma is not going to become Venom, and will not be possessed, he was slightly influenced by the adrenaline and hormones, but Kao's words were what got him the most; he did not want to see anyone, and especially the girls hurt. Kao was simply acting on what it thought was best, and will find it was wrong. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding you all had, but I had hoped more of you would get it.

Let me know if there is anything else that confuses you, I'd be more than happy to elaborate. E-mail me at chrnorris (at) gmail (dot) com or gundraw (at) msn (dot) com

Ja -Chris "Gundraw" Norris


End file.
